Holding Out For a Heero
by GaiasChosen
Summary: AU! The Gundam Boys get new neighbors and drama ensues.
1. Moving Day

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 1?

Author: Gaia

Category: Humor

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4

Rating: PG-13-R (as of now)

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student! Any songs mentioned are not mine, they are property of those who wrote/sang them. The song, Holding Out for a Hero is not mine, I'm just borrowing it. (It will appear later too.)

Notes: This is my first fic, so don't judge me too harshly. The Gundam Pilots get new neighbors…

Part One: Moving Day

Sara flipped her long, auburn hair out of her way and picked up another box. Glancing up, she sighed at the amount of boxes still in the truck. At the rate they were moving, it would take them most of the day just to get the truck unloaded.

Walking out of the truck, she stuck her tongue out at Lissa, her roommate. Lissa smiled at her and went to grab another box from the truck. Bending down, she laughed to herself as her braids fell over her shoulders. They looked mostly normal today. Her long, brunette locks were tamed into three braids on the sides and back of her head.

Lissa bolted upright as sharp pain afflicted her ass. She looked back and down, noticing the hair elastic lying innocently on the floor of the truck. Movement from the house caught her eye and she glanced up.

Sara smiled evilly and picked the box she'd placed on the steps back up. Lissa shrugged and picked up the hair elastic.

Her braids fell over her shoulders again and she knew why Sara had given her the elastic. She pulled the three braids together and wrapped the elastic around them, making a bulky ponytail.

Looking down at the boxes around her, she got back to work.

Heero looked around the room and sighed. All the other pilots had gone shopping. They had, of course, invited him, but there was nothing he hated more than shopping.

He looked out the window and saw the rented moving van.

"Looks like we have new neighbors." He shook his head at himself. He was becoming more like Duo everyday by talking to himself. He decided to go out and meet the new neighbors to relieve his boredom.

He saw movement in the back of the truck as he walked out his front door, so he moved towards it and froze.

He was close enough to see a few details of the person in the truck. A thick brown braid hung down to the person's hips.

"Duo..." Heero breathed the name of the one person he knew with hair that long.

The person swung around with a gasp and Heero knew it was definitely not Duo.

He looked the girl up and down. She was taller than most girls he knew, maybe 5'6" at least. She was slender, yet well-endowed. Her dark brown hair seemed to perfectly compliment her eyes. They were aqua in color, with a thin band of orange ringing her pupils. One eye was partially obscured by a swoop of bangs that were angled, on side just barely brushing the corner of her mouth, the other reaching only to her nose. Her dark jeans were molded to her body and her red t-shirt said 'One sake, two sake, three sake, floor.' in black letters. He knew without a doubt that Duo would be interested in her and his heart sank.

Lissa looked at the boy who had startled her. He was small, but muscular. His brown, tousled hair fell over his deep blue eyes enticingly. One corner of her mouth lifted. At least she now knew that this town would not be as boring as the last one they had been to. She wished Sara could be out here to meet him and contemplated calling out to her, but that would be a little too obvious. Sara had to come back out anyway, since they had to get this truck unloaded and returned before seven.

"Hi, I'm Lissa. I'm guessing you're one of our neighbors?" She smiled at the boy, seeing the startled look in his eyes. She had pulled him out of deep thought and she wondered what it had been about.

Lissa saw Sara approaching from the house, but decided to let her surprise the boy in front of her.

"Yes, I am one of your neighbors. My name is Heero Yuy." The boy's voice was monotone, almost causing Lissa to close her eyes. It was the voice of a teacher, a boring, lecturing teacher.

"Heero. That's a nice name." Sara walked up from behind the boy as she said this. Surprisingly, he didn't even flinch at the sound of her voice. Sara held out her hand. "I'm Sara."

Heero looked the new girl over and sighed. She wasn't as well-endowed as Lissa, but she was just as slender. Her hair was thick, auburn, and pulled back in a ponytail, so he couldn't tell how long it was until she turned around. Her eyes were a strange brown color that held flecks of green and gold. While Lissa had a delicate, elfin look about her, Sara had a stronger appearance, muscles evident in her arms. Her light blue jeans were baggy and her camouflage t-shirt, also baggy, said 'Haha, now you can't see me.' His heart sank even more as he realized both girls would attract Duo's attention.

"Why do you look so gloomy all of a sudden?" Lissa reached out a hand to Heero and put it on his shoulder.

"I'm fine." Heero glared at her until her hand fell off his shoulder.

"Whoa, boy, calm down. You just looked glum and she's a sympathetic person. We just met; you don't want to leave us with a bad first impression." Sara's eyes flashed dangerously as she looked at him.

"Sorry." Heero turned and was about to walk back to his house when Lissa's voice stopped him.

"As long as you're here and you need to leave us with a better impression than the one you just gave, you can help us."

"Nani?" Heero's voice held a note of confusion.

Sara bent down and picked up a box. Dumping it in Heero's arms, she picked up another box and started walking.

Heero stood there dumbly for a few seconds until he realized that they needed his help to finish faster. He turned and walked after Sara, knowing that she would direct his as to where to put the box.

Staring ahead, he noticed Sara's ponytail. Before he had met these two girls, he had never met anyone except Duo with hair that long. Suddenly, he knew three. Sara's hair fell down past her hips, brushing her thighs as she walked. It was thick and luxurious, with natural blond and brown highlights throughout its mass.

Lissa smirked and watched his back as he walked after Sara. He had a very nice ass, one she wouldn't mind seeing more often, despite his attitude.

Sara grimaced, knowing they were already off to a bad start with one of their neighbors. She wished it could have been better, but Heero seemed determined to make their first impression a bad one. She led him through the house to the room they would eventually turn into a dining room and placed her box down.

Heero followed suite and immediately went back out to the truck. As he was climbing back out of the truck, he saw Quatre's SUV barreling down the road. He sighed. Duo had to be driving. He was the only one of the gundam pilots who drove so recklessly. The SUV screeched to a halt next to the moving truck and Duo hopped out of the driver's side door.

"Oi, Heero, what are you doing?" Duo bounced over to Heero, his braid waving like a flag behind him.

"Hn." Heero moved past Duo and into the house.

"Oh, okay. I understand. You're helping our new neighbors move in, aren't you?" Duo bounced onto the truck and saw Lissa and Sara. "Hi, I'm Duo Maxwell." He shook the closest girl's hand, the one with the red hair and smiled.

"I'm Sara and this is my roommate, Lissa." She smiled at him, feeling welcomed by his attitude. He reminded her of Lissa.

Duo's eyes roamed freely over the two girls. They were both pretty and he definitely wanted to be friend's with them. They had already made the acquaintance of Heero and weren't crying, so that had to mean something.

Sara looked over the boy in front of her and her smiled widened. This boy seemed to know Heero, but he seemed much more likable. She had noticed the braid hanging down his back that somehow added to his masculinity, instead of detracting from it. He was wearing tight, black pants and a shirt that matched his eyes. They were blue, an odd, vibrant shade, bordering a violet. He didn't seem as muscular as Heero, but he was wiry. She looked back into his eyes and saw him watching her with a smile on his face.

"So, do you need more help with the unloading process?" Duo's voice was bright and cheerful, compared to Heero's monotone.

"We could definitely use some help. We have to get this truck back to the rental garage by seven and it's already…" Sara trailed off as she looked at her watch, "three." She smiled at him and turned back to grabbing more boxes.

Duo flipped around and started towards the SUV again. Lissa watched him go, focusing on his ass as he walked. It was slightly bigger than Heero's, but no less appetizing. She heaved as sigh when she realized he was probably not going to help. What other reason would he be going back to the car? She picked up yet another box, sad to see Duo go.

Sara saw Lissa heave a sigh and caught sight of Duo walking away. She knew what Lissa was thinking, but Sara could just barely see human shapes beyond the tinted glass windows of the SUV. Hopefully, Duo was not leaving, but going to grab extra sets of hands to help unload the truck.

"Okay, guys. Time to meet the new neighbors. I've already offered your services up for the day. We're going to help them move in!" Quatre winced as Duo's high pitched voice got closer.

"Mattaku no baka. Maxwell, why must you always offer our services before you consult us?" Wufei ranted from the back seat.

"Because, dear Wuffie, these girls need our help and we're the nice next door neighbors." Duo smiled sweetly through the passenger side window at Wufei.

"ONNAS! I refuse." Wufei crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Trowa rolled his eyes and opened his door, stepping out into the sun.

Sara and Lissa both looked up in time to see Duo hanging inside a window to the SUV with his ass sticking up in the air and a door on the car open, revealing a tall, handsome brunette. He was thin, almost painfully so, and lithe. His tight jeans accentuated his utter lack of an ass. The grey tank top he was wearing displayed the muscles in his arms perfectly and complimented his emerald green eyes.

The two girls looked at each other and almost fainted when another door to the SUV opened. This time, it revealed a small blonde, with such clear blue eyes, they seemed to glow. His khakis, which would have looked dressy on any other person, looked casual on him. The pale pink t-shirt he wore seemed to fit his personality perfectly. He looked towards them and waved, smiling brightly.

The last man to slide from the car was the final straw for the girls. They leaned against the nearest box and watched as he grumpily made his was over. The slightly baggy white pants and shirt that should have hid his wiry build only helped to display it. His eyes, which were so dark they looked black, flashed at the two girls. His thick, black hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail, emphasizing the angles of his face. He was obviously of Chinese descent.

Sara looked at Lissa and sat on the box behind her. Heero came out of the house at that exact moment and the five boys walked over to the back of the moving truck.

Lissa felt someone staring at her and looked at Sara, sharing a look that said everything. 'Aren't we lucky to live next door to so many hot guys?' Sara smiled and tried to control her hormones as she looked back at the boys.

Duo bounced up into the truck to perform the introductions. He wondered why the girl named Sara had felt the need to sit down, but he kept that question to himself. "Ok, introductions. The tall one is Trowa, the short one is Quatre, and the angry one is Wuffie." Duo smiled at the two girls.

"MAXWELL, MY NAME IS WUFEI!" The Chinese one scrambled up into the truck and was about to attack Duo when he jerked to a sudden halt. Looking back, he saw that Heero had wrapped his shirt around his fist, preventing him from reaching Duo. "Yuy, let me go!" Wufei struggled against his grip.

"Absolutely not. I won't allow you to hurt my partner, just in case a mission comes up." Heero growled.

"And here I thought you were getting all sappy on me, Heero. Just in case a mission comes up." Duo snorted and pouted.

"Right. Duo doesn't perform very good introductions. I'm Quatre Raberba Winner, this is Trowa Barton, and the one trying to attack Duo is Wufei Chang. I assume you've already met Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell?" The small blonde went about the introductions more formally and thoroughly than Duo, but he seemed uncomfortable.

"You've assumed correctly. I'm Lissa and this is Sara." Lissa smiled and held her hand out to Quatre, who immediately took it and shook. Lissa was shocked by the strength behind his grip. He had seemed to be the smallest and weakest of them, but if he was, then that would mean that the others would be impossibly strong. Lissa shook her head slightly and tossed that assumption aside. They couldn't possibly be that strong.

"Do you all live with Heero?" Sara stood and walked forward as she said this, extending her hand to shake.

"Yes, we do. We've been friends for quite a few years." Quatre looked like he wasn't willing to talk about it, so Sara dropped the subject.

A new, quiet voice joined the conversation. "Would you like us to help you unload the truck?" Sara and Lissa both shivered as they heard Trowa's voice. They had nothing against the other boy's voices, but… They nodded when they realized they hadn't answered his question.

Quickly, almost mechanically, the five boys grabbed boxes and followed Heero into the house.

Lissa looked at Sara and sighed. "Um, did you notice something about Trowa's voice?"

Sara laughed. "Of course. He has the ultimate phone sex voice!"

The two girls collapsed into giggles and were rolling around on the floor of the truck.

This was how the five boys found them when they came back to grab more boxes.

"Um, what's so funny?" Duo looked at the two of them rolling around on the ground and couldn't help but smile. They were adorable.

"Nothing…just….inside jokes…" Sara gasped while laughing like a maniac.

Slowly, the two girls calmed down and got back to work.

An hour later, the truck was unloaded. Sara looked around in amazement. Even with all the help, she hadn't expected to be done until right before seven.

"Well, all that's left to be done for today is to bring the truck back to the rental garage. Hey, what were you guys planning on doing for dinner tonight?" Sara smiled as she looked at the boys.

Quatre, Wufei, Trowa, and Duo all looked expectantly at Heero, whose face went white.

"Heero, you didn't happen to get anything out for dinner, did you?" Duo couldn't help the smile that crept back to his face as he watched Heero.

"Hn." Heero turned away and headed back towards their house.

"Right. We don't have any plans because _someone_ forgot to get something out." Duo turned back to Sara and Lissa, grinning like a maniac.

"Why don't we cook you dinner to thank you for all your help today? It's not a problem. We have to go to the store anyway, so we can just pick up more of what we were going to get." Sara saw Duo's face light up at the mention of food and almost started laughing.

"You're going to need quite a lot of food, especially if you plan on Duo coming to dinner." Wufei snarled slightly as he said this.

Sara and Lissa stared at each other in shock. Wufei had said something that didn't involve anger.

"Hey, that's not nice, Wu-man!" Duo said and jumped on Wufei's back.

The two grappled while the others looked on. Sara shook her head and searched through her pockets until she found the keys to the truck. She looked at Lissa. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'll drive the car over and pick you up." Lissa pulled her keys out of her pocket and walked to the vivid purple 2005 Mustang GT.

Duo looked up from trying to prevent himself from being strangled by Wufei and waved.

"We'll be over when we see your car back in the driveway!" He shouted and went back to trying to get Wufei off of him.

Sara climbed into the truck and looked over her shoulder at the boys. 'Life around here won't be very quite, but at least it will be interesting,' she thought to herself as she watched Heero finally pull Wufei off Duo and walk back into their house.

She started the truck and pulled away, wondering how much food they would really need for dinner. She smacked her forehead with her hand, realizing that they hadn't asked the boys what they wanted for dinner. 'Guess they are just going to have to settle with whatever we end up cooking for them.' She drove off down the street, planning a gourmet meal like no other.

End Part 1

Gaia

Gaia: Meep….Hope you liked it…


	2. Dinner and a Song

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 2?

Author: Gaia

Category: Humor

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC

Disclaimers: pouts I don't own the Gundam Boys…or the song Holding Out for a Heero….it belongs to Frou Frou.

Notes: I think I watched Shrek 2 too many times. That's were the idea for this fic came from… Thank my muse, Dweia, for this…

Part 2: Dinner and a Song

"I hope we have enough food." Lissa said as she pulled into their new driveway.

"Lissa, calm down. There may be five of them, but they're all scrawny. We're going to have enough food." Sara got out of the car and started unloading groceries. She hadn't even turned to bring them in when Duo ran up quietly behind her.

"Hi!" Sara jumped, hitting her head on the roof of the car. She hadn't expected any of the boys to appear until after they had unloaded the car.

Duo saw her fumble the bags as she turned and automatically took them from her.

"You don't want to drop these, ya know. Food is a valuable thing!" Duo grinned and walked in the front door after Lissa unlocked it.

Sara shook her head, rubbing the place that had hit the roof of the car. She grabbed the last of the bags and headed into the house.

Lissa had already grabbed the box of kitchenware and was quickly unloading it.

Duo stood watching them, a slight smile on his face. He was getting a good dinner tonight and he didn't have to cook it!

Lissa turned around and saw the smile on his face. "What's up, Duo?"

"Nothing. I just have the feeling that dinner tonight will be very tasty and I didn't have to cook it! The only other good cook is Quatre, but that's because he took cooking classes in school. Hey, do you mind if I sit on your counter?" Duo gestured to the free counter space next to the refrigerator.

"No, not at all. Go ahead. Where are the others?" Lissa turned back to finding the cooking utensils, plates, and silverware they needed.

"Um. I don't know. They said they would be over in a minute, but it's been about five, so… I guess they'll be over anytime now." Duo bounced his legs off the cabinets below him as he watched the two girls work together comfortably. He couldn't help but wonder… "Can I ask a personal question?"

Sara and Lissa both looked up from their work at the hesitant tone in his voice. "Sure," they answered simultaneously.

"I have to wonder, because you two work so well together and because you're living together… I don't mean to assume or anything, I'm just curious… And I don't want to offend you or anything…but…um..." Duo trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"But…" Lissa prompted him.

"But… you want to know if we're a couple, don't you?" Sara choked down her laughter as she watched Duo blush.

"Well…um…yeah… I really don't want to offend you and I'm sorry if I have…"

"Duo, chill. No, we are not a couple; we've just been friends for a really long time and needed roommates to split the costs of living." Lissa couldn't contain her laughter and leaned on the counter with one hand over her mouth.

Sara could no longer contain her laughter, sliding to the floor and laughing like a maniac.

Their laughter was infectious. Duo leaned back against the wall, laughing hysterically. No one heard the door bell when it rang the first time… or the second… or the third.

The three finally calmed down and sat looking at each other. The doorbell rang a fourth time, causing them to dissolve into laughter once again. Lissa stumbled to her feet and went to the front door. Opening the door, she smiled as she saw the remaining four boys standing on her front porch. Wufei looked impatient, Quatre looked happy, and both Trowa and Heero looked dispassionate. Moving out of the way, she let them in and then led them to the kitchen, where Sara and Duo had composed themselves.

"What took so long to open the door, onnas?" Wufei's arms were crossed over his chest, his legs spread apart, ready to do battle.

Sara and Lissa ignored him and kept working to put together the wonderful dinner they had planned.

The boys stood awkwardly around, not knowing what to do, until Sara turned around and noticed how uncomfortable they were.

"You guys can go sit in the living room. We set up the furniture before we started unloading boxes, so there are plenty of seats. We'll call you when we finish making dinner."

"Do you need any help?" Duo jumped down from the counter and put his hands in his pockets.

"Only if you want to help and you really don't have to. This is our gift to you for helping us unload the truck." Lissa grinned widely.

"I'll definitely help. I love to cook!"

Heero grunted and walked out of the room. Wufei snorted. Trowa and Quatre glanced at each other with a grimace.

"Hey, Sara, Lissa? Since we're cooking, can they clean afterwards? It's only fair, with the faces they made." Duo looked hopeful and evil at the same time.

"Nope, we're going to clean up after dinner. You definitely don't have to help because you're our guest. The only reason we're letting you help cook is because you want to." Sara was pulling out chicken, lettuce, Italian bread, and Caesar salad dressing as she said that.

Lissa had pulled out a baking pan, waving it around like a stiff skirt.

Sara and Duo caught sight of her and giggled. Lissa finally put the baking pan down on the rapidly filling counter.

"I think what she's trying to say is that she needs entertainment. I'll go get the stereo." Sara walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

Duo stared at Lissa as she pulled a large bowl from the box and, with a lack of anywhere else to put it, placed it on her head.

They heard a crash from the dining room and Lissa was off like a flash.

Hysterical laughter filled the house before Lissa reached the dining room.

Sara lay, half covered by a box, on the floor, laughing like a maniac. The stereo lay across her chest, its cord draping her stomach. The box completely covered her legs. CD's littered the floor around her.

The five boys appeared silently behind Lissa, confused by all the noise.

Sara gently pushed the box and stereo off her body and stumbled to her feet. Unfortunately, she forgot about the cord to the stereo and, unable to untangle her legs, fell forward.

Duo was immediately there, catching her easily.

Sara regained her balance and untangled her legs. "Thanks, Duo. You're amazing!" Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tightly.

She looked up from Duo's shoulder and saw the five others starting at her, one with a bowl on her head.

"Lissa, what the hell are you doing with a bowl on your head?" She asked, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Um, trying to see just what the hell you did in here." Lissa said, pulling the bowl off her head and placing in on Sara's.

Sara shook her head slowly and picked up the stereo and CD's, all the while keeping the bowl on her head.

Duo picked up the closest CD. Its bright green color could only mean one thing.

"You have the Shrek 2 soundtrack? Can we please listen to it? Please?" Duo pleaded, his voice rising a few octaves.

"Sure, just let me set up the stereo and we'll put it on." Sara smiled gently at him, putting her free arm around his shoulders and leading him back to the kitchen.

Lissa followed closely behind, eyeing the other four boys as she went. She saw the frown that flashed in Heero's eyes before he hid it behind a blank mask.

'What was that look about?' She wondered.

Sara quickly set up the stereo and took the CD from Duo.

"You're sure you want to listen to this?" She watched him closely, seeing him school his features before he whispered, "Yes,"

She nodded and put the CD into the stereo.

"I hope you don't mind, but I always skip the first song." Sara looked at Duo in askance.

"I don't mind at all. I don't really like that song. Why should love be considered accidental? Weren't Shrek and Fiona in love in the first movie? That song implies that they have to fall back in love for some reason. I never understood why they used it. People fall in love, but not accidentally. Fate decides who you are to fall in love with; it's not an accident…" Duo trailed off when he realized he was babbling. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head to see Lissa looking at him, agreement written across her face.

"You okay, Duo?" Sara's voice was almost uncertain as she watched him watch Lissa.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why would anything be wrong?" Duo's voice was cheerful, completely opposite from the look on his face.

Sara frowned, but turned away to work on making dinner. She wasn't pleased that Duo blew off her question like that, but she didn't know him well enough to push him to answer.

Lissa saw Sara turn away and decided that that was the best thing to do right now. She started singing when her favorite song on the CD started to play.

_Where have all the good men gone_

_And where are all the gods?_

_Where's the streetwise Hercules_

_To fight the rising odds?_

_Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

_Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need_

Both girls were singing by the time the verse was over. They could tell that Duo was trying in vain to not sing. He was nearly vibrating with the need.

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

_He's gotta be strong_

_And he's gotta be fast_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

_He's gotta be sure_

_And it's gotta be soon_

_And he's gotta be larger than life_

Duo gasped as the words to the song registered in his mind. _Hero. _'Heero,' he thought to himself silently. He began rocking back and forth slowly to the music, singing softly.

_Somewhere after midnight_

_In my wildest fantasies_

_Somewhere just beyond my reach_

_There's someone reaching back for me_

_Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

_It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet_

Lissa and Sara were currently trying not to laugh and belt out the music at the same time. They danced as they grilled the chicken on the stove.

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

_He's gotta be strong_

_And he's gotta be fast_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

_He's gotta be sure_

_And he's gotta be soon_

_And he's gotta be larger than life_

Duo's voice grew stronger until he was belting out the song right along with the two girls.

_Up where the mountains meet the heavens above _

_Out where the lightning splits the sea_

_I would swear there's someone somewhere_

_Watching me_

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain_

_And the storm and the flood_

_I could feel his approach_

_Like the fire in my blood_

Duo's mind raced as the thought of the coming words of the chorus. The two girls in the room watched him closely, even as they belted out the lyrics. They had noticed the look that crossed his face every time the chorus came around, and they wanted to see if it was real or just their imagination.

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

_He's gotta be strong_

_And he's gotta be fast_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

_He's gotta be sure_

_And he's gotta be soon_

_And he's gotta be larger than life_

They grinned and looked at each other as the song came to an end. The look had definitely been there. Duo was really holding out for a hero and if they hadn't misinterpreted some of what they had seen, he was holding out for a certain hero.

Sara winked at this and gave her the 'we have got to talk about this later' look. Lissa nodded almost imperceptibly and took the chicken off the stove-top grill. Sara picked up a large knife and cut the break into bite size squares, placing them on the baking pan. She slid it into the oven and handed the knife to Lissa, who quickly, efficiently cut the chicken into slices. The two turned when they had finished their tasks and looked at Duo expectantly.

His eyebrow went up. "What would you like me to do?"

Without speaking, Lissa washed the knife and dried it off, handing it to Duo when she was finished. Sara picked up the lettuce and held it out to him.

"I get it. You want me to cut up the lettuce." He took the proffered items and quickly did as he was asked. Lissa watched him silently, a plan forming in her mind to find out who he had been thinking about during the song, although she could probably already guess. Sara waited a few minutes, and then took the toasted bread out of the oven to cool. She then peeled the safety seal off the Caesar Salad dressing and set it aside, walking over to stand next to Lissa.

Duo chopped up the lettuce into bite-sized pieces quickly, not wanting to look inefficient in front of these two girls. For some reason, he wanted to impress them. He really liked them.

Sara looked over at Duo as he chopped up the lettuce.

"So, where did you learn how to cook?" She looked at him speculatively.

"I had to survive, ya know? I started by heating things up in microwave and sort of taught myself from that point. I guess I just got bored of microwave dinners and wanted something else. I've gained a few of my own techniques over the years." He smiled as he finished chopping the lettuce.

'I'm sure you do have techniques of your own,' Sara thought as she watched him make quick work of the lettuce. He looked domesticated, his face a study of concentration. She thought of the boy in the living room who would be lucky, if only he knew what he could have.

Lissa picked up the bottle of Caesar salad dressing that Sara had left on the counter and walked over to where the two were standing. She watched as Duo put the last of the lettuce in a bowl and then she poured the contents of the bottle in the bowl.

Sara grabbed her wooden spoon and carefully mixed the lettuce and dressing. Lissa went back to where the chicken was cooling and put it neatly on a plate.

Duo grinned when he realized that dinner was ready and there was a lot of it.

"Do you want to go warn them? We'll grab the plates and forks." Sara smiled and watched him bounce out of the room.

Lissa giggled and looked at Sara.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Definitely. Project Get Duo and Heero Together will commence in five, four, three, two, one…" Sara's grin widened, making her look just a tad insane. She and Lissa were famous for their 'projects'.

"Hey, what's takin' so long with the food?" Duo's gleeful voice sounded from the living room, causing Sara's insane look to crack as she reached to the side and grabbed plates and forks. Balancing those, she grabbed the bowl of salad while Lissa grabbed the chicken and home-made croutons.

"I'll come back and get drinks for everyone." Sara glanced back at Lissa and couldn't help giggling as Lissa stuck her tongue out.


	3. There's a Wrong Way to Eat Chicken Caesa...

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 3?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+OC

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student!

Notes: Please don't judge me too harshly… it's my first long fic! Feedback is always appreciated!

Part Three: There's a Wrong Way to Eat Chicken Caesar Salad?

They ate mostly in silence, the only noises coming from Duo. He moaned over the chicken, making everyone in the room have thoughts bordering on impure.

"This chicken is amazing…so juicy…yum…" Duo exclaimed in between bites.

Sara and Lissa just smiled. Silence prevailed again in the living room. It was slightly uncomfortable, but that did not seem to bother Heero, Trowa, or Wufei. Quatre, however, seemed jittery because of it. His eyes were darting around the room, pausing almost imperceptibly longer on Trowa, then moving over everyone else.

Duo cleared his throat and looked around the room as soon as his plate was clean, his eyes locking on Heero and refusing to move. Heero was eating systematically, one piece of chicken, one piece of lettuce, one crouton, finish chewing, repeat. Duo grimaced. That was not the way to eat Chicken Caesar Salad.

"Heero, man, you're eating that the wrong way."

"Wrong way?" Heero's voice was threatening as he glared at Duo.

Lissa saw the glare and cringed. That was definitely a promise of death for the braided boy.

Sara had apparently seen it too, as she interrupted the two. "So, where did you all live before moving to your house?"

"Duo, how can you eat something the wrong way?" Quatre asked simultaneously.

"I don't eat my food the wrong way." Heero's voice seemed to command the attention of everyone, even though he spoke quietly.

"You're not supposed to eat like a robot, especially with a salad. You're supposed to get a little bit of everything." Duo whined.

"Hn."

"Maybe Heero does not like to shove food in his mouth like it is a garbage disposal unit?" Wufei's baiting words caused Duo to drop his plate.

"WUFEI! DUO!" Quatre tried to avert the disaster by throwing himself into the middle of the room, arms outstretched. "Can you two possibly act like adults for ten seconds?"

Duo stood up and stalked out of the room.

"Um." Sara followed Duo out, knowing instinctively he would need someone to talk to.

"Wufei, why do you have to do that to him all the time?" Quatre looked like he was about to cry.

"Cat, calm down. Duo will be fine." Trowa's voice seemed to soothe Quatre's nerves almost immediately.

"Cat? That's a nice nickname. It kind of fits you." Lissa was tried of being silent and decided to put a few words in. It wasn't worth it because the remaining boys in the room ignored her.

"I don't know why he was saying that about your eating habits, mechanically as they are, but I think you should have asked him why he said that before glaring at him, Heero." Quatre sat back in his place and crossed his arms over his chest.

Heero grunted and put his plate down on the table next to him. Sighing, he stood and walked from the room, in the opposite direction that Duo and Sara had taken.

Lissa sighed, hating that she was ignored and hating that the boys were fighting when they should have been having a good time. She hoped Sara was getting somewhere with Duo.

"Why do I have to do that to him all the time? Do you honestly have to ask? That braided baka always speaks without thinking. He says the most ridiculous things. Did you happen to see the look on Heero's face when Duo said that to him?" Wufei rose to his feet, his voice strengthening until he was yelling at Quatre.

Trowa stood and got in between Wufei and Quatre, the menacing look on his face, causing Wufei to step back.

"Get a hold of yourselves! Just sit down and shut up! I'm tired of listening to you yell at each other. Wufei, you don't think before you talk either! The few hours that I've known you guys, you've baited him multiple times. Have you ever thought that maybe he doesn't like it and hides it like he obviously hides everything else?" Lissa stood up and stormed from the room after her tirade, leaving Wufei stunned as Trowa and Quatre sat back on the couch with bewildered expressions.

Sara found Duo sitting on the back porch, his legs hanging over the edge of the pool. She noticed his shoes sitting to his left and his tight black pants were rolled up to his knees.

"You know, I didn't really mean for that to come out the way it must have seemed. I know that I don't usually think before I talk, but I really didn't mean to say that to Heero." Duo sighed and watched the water that was flowing around his feet.

Sara toed off her shoes and rolled up her jeans so that they wouldn't get wet. Sitting on the edge of the pool next to him, she put her arm around his shoulder and slide her feet into the water beside his.

Duo stiffened when he first felt her touch, but he was too depressed to deny the comfort of the half-hug for long. He leaned against her, allowing her warmth to comfort him.

"Why does Wufei always have to jump down my throat? I mean, I understand why he felt that what I said was offensive, but he could have said it nicely, ya know?" Duo looked up at her, sadness evident in his features.

Sara tilted her head down, gazing into his violet eyes. Duo gasped when he saw the color of her eyes. He hadn't really noticed them, but he had thought they were light brown. The sunlight reflected off the water made them turn greener than before.

"You know, I definitely understand how you feel. I speak without thinking a lot, more than you might think when you first meet me. Don't worry about it. It's just part of your personality and people are just going to have to deal with that if they want to be your friend." Sara smiled down at him.

Duo smiled back and snuggled in closer to her. She wrapped both of her arms around him and held him tightly.

Lissa passed the sliding glass door that led to the pool and saw Sara and Duo hugging. She smiled. Sara was good at comforting people. Lissa resumed her search for Heero. If Sara was good at comforting people, Lissa was amazing.

She glanced into the yoga room, knowing that he wouldn't be in there. She had a pretty good idea of where to find him and she headed past the yoga room at a determined pace. The weight room was only a few doors down.

She pushed the door open and smiled slightly when she saw Heero at Sara's Bowflex. He had 300 pounds on the machine and was moving them up and down without breaking a sweat. He was staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

"Hey, Heero? Can I ask you a question?" Lissa walked up to him with her hands behind her back.

Heero flinched a little at the sound of his voice. Lissa smirked as she realized that she had startled him.

"Hn." He grunted in answer.

"How do you feel about Duo?" Lissa watched as shock rushed across Heero's face before it went back to the stony mask.

"He's Duo. He's one of the boys I live with." Heero growled.

"If he's only one of the boys you live with, why can he always tell what you mean when you grunt or stay silent?" Lissa raised her eyebrows at Heero.

"Hn. He reads people well. It's part of his training."

"Training? Do I even want to know?" Lissa smirked again. Heero was unwittingly revealing secrets about their past.

Heero's lips tightened and he didn't respond. He just kept working the Bowflex like it was his lifeline.

"Anyway, I was just wondering because if he were just some boy you live with, his word wouldn't have affected you in the way they did, would they have?" Lissa turned after she said this and would have walked from the room, but found herself detained.

Turning slowly, she saw the end of one of her braids caught in Heero's hand. He was staring at it like it was a snake.

"Hey, can I have my hair back? Heero?" Heero had started to stroke her hair absentmindedly. Looking back up at her, Heero wrapped her braid around his fist, drawing her closer to him like he was fishing.

When her face was inches from him, he stopped.

"You think you know so much about us, but you have a lot to learn. We have been a group for a long time, we've been through more than you could even imagine. Don't try and think that you know why we are the way we are." Heero's voice had dropped to a menacing growl and he was glaring at her.

Lissa wasn't fazed by his glare, she just glared right back. Shock crossed Heero's face. He hadn't met that many people other than the other gundam pilots that weren't fazed by his glare.

"I don't presume to know anything about you. I was just commenting on what I had seen between you two. You should really take the stick out of your ass for a few minutes and you might see him as more than just a boy you live with? Maybe you would see him as a friend. You never know what might happen." Lissa pulled gently out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around him.

Heero stiffened and sat quietly in her embrace, his hands dropping uselessly to his sides.

Lissa reached up and pushed his head down on her shoulder, knowing that he wouldn't fight her about it.

Heero's eyes closed as he felt the comfort of a hug for the first time in his life. This was what Duo was always trying to get him to do. He had wondered about it for a long time, but hadn't been willing to try it. Now that he had been forced into the situation, he had to admit that Duo was right. It felt like a healing process, the warmth and comfort surrounding him.

Lissa pulled back gently and looked into Heero's deep blue eyes. "Don't be so hard on Duo, he only wants your… friendship." With that, Lissa turned and walked out of the weight room, leaving Heero to his thoughts.

Heero contemplated her last words. 'Duo's friendship? What would that entail?' Heero stared at the wall and sighed. Life was never easy.


	4. Why Don't We Go For a Swim?

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 4?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+OC

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student!

Notes: Please don't judge me too harshly… it's my first long fic! Feedback is always appreciated!

Part Four: Why Don't We Go For a Swim?

"Mattaku!" Wufei swore as he threw the shovel to the ground. He put his bleeding finger in his mouth and swore again. The splinter was pushed deeper when his tongue swiped his finger.

Whipping his finger from his mouth, he gazed down and saw two centimeters of wood sticking out of his body. Sighing, he tried to grab it to pull it out, but only succeeded in pushing it deeper. Soon, only half a centimeter was visible.

Wufei looked up at the low growl of a car. The sleek, low slung black car shimmered as it pulled into their next door neighbor's driveway. He looked it over quickly, taking in the design, and immediately place it as a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. (1)

Nearly drooling, Wufei watched as the door opened slowly. Sara gracefully stood as she slid out of the car and waved. She pulled off her black sunglasses and started towards her door.

Sara paused and looked over at Wufei again. She noticed that his hand was bleeding and immediately changed directions, reaching his side in less than a minute.

"What happened to your hand?" She asked, concern evident in her features.

"Nothing, onna." Despite his words, Wufei's voice was soft.

"Then you're bleeding for no reason?" Sara reached around him and grabbed his hand before he could pull it away. He stood in shock at her speed, while she examined his hand, turning it this way and that.

Sara sighed as she looked at his hand and grabbed his other one, pulling him behind her into her house.

"LISSA! CAN YOU GRAB THE FIRST ADD KIT AND SOME TWEEZERS?" Sara's voice echoed through the house.

A muffled, "Sure!" came from the stairwell that led upstairs. Almost immediately, Lissa appeared with a blue metal box with a huge red cross painted on the top.

"What happened?" She asked, looking at Wufei. Looking down at the hand that Sara was holding delicately, she noticed the blood dripping on the kitchen floor. "Oh. Splinter, huh?"

Sara nodded as she took the tweezers and set to work on getting the splinter out of Wufei's hand.

Wufei flinched when he felt the first tug on the splinter. The second tug caused him to yelp.

"Onna! That hurt!" Wufei tried to pull his hand away, but Sara's grip was strong.

"Stop moving and it will hurt less. I'll also be able to get it out faster, so it'll hurt even less!" Sara pulled his hand closer, so it almost touched her chest, and went back to work.

Wufei tried to stay still, but couldn't help flinching every few seconds as Sara worked the splinter out.

Finally, Sara straightened, holding the tweezers up triumphantly. She looked around quickly and noticed a napkin on the counter. Moving Wufei towards the napkins, she carefully placed the splinter on the napkin.

"And that is why it hurt so much, my dear Wuffie." Sara pointed to the splinter. It was at least an inch and a half long, with only half a centimeter not covered in blood.

"That whole thing was in me?" Wufei squeaked, not even noticing how Sara had butchered his name.

"Yeah, and if you had left it in, it would have gotten infected." Lissa nodded enthusiastically as Sara upbraided Wufei.

Sara quickly wrapped Wufei's finger with a band-aid covered in antibiotic cream.

"Now, since it's been three days since we've hung out, how would you feel about going back to your house and inviting everyone over to go swimming. We'll make sandwiches for lunch." Lissa smiled at Wufei.

"…Um…sure, why don't I go do that?" Wufei walked slowly out of the house, a slight smile on his face. He might not have warmed up to the girls on that first day, but he knew that today had helped them worm their way into his circle of friends.

Duo was, predictably, the first at their house, dressed in light blue jean cut-offs and a tripped wife-beater. A towel was slung over his shoulder, as well as a red bathing suit. Almost directly behind him were Quatre and Trowa. Quatre still seemed slightly wary. He was wearing khaki shorts and a white t-shirt. Trowa was carrying a green duffel bag, which probably contained his and Quatre's bathing suits and towels. His blue jean cut-offs were darker than Duo's, but they were also short, showing off his long, muscular legs. He also wore a white t-shirt. His free arm was wrapped around Quatre's waist.

Lissa smiled when she saw where Trowa's hand was. She had guessed that something was going on between those two, knowing instinctively that they would make a good couple. Noticing that Duo was there too, she wondered where Heero and Wufei were.

"Hey, Duo, where are Heero and Wufei? I thought they would come over with the three of you." Lissa inquired.

"Um. They just said that they would be over in a few minutes. I don't really know what they are doing, so I'm just as clueless as you. Can I use your bathroom to change into my swimsuit?" Duo smiled brightly.

Lissa grinned and nodded. She looked over at Quatre and decided that today, she would either find out why he was so uncomfortable around them or she would make him comfortable. Her grin grew, stretching from ear to ear.

Quatre looked up at Lissa and almost had a heart attack. Her smile was wide enough to scare even the most innocent at heart. He knew that that smile had something to do with him, probably because her gaze was focused on him. A slight shiver rose up his spine, almost immediately soothed by Trowa's large, warm hands.

"Calm down, Sand Cat." Trowa's deep voice helped his hands work their magic over Quatre's shoulders.

"Sand Cat? Would it be impertinent of me to ask why you have that nickname?" Lissa's smile grew less scary.

Quatre blushed and nodded. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't apologize. I asked if it would be rude, you answered, enough said." Lissa wanted to hug the small boy, but thought it would freak him out right now.

"Um. Ok." He smiled slightly and looked up into Trowa's eyes. He saw that Trowa remembered how he had come up with the nickname from the humor bubbling under the surface of those emerald green eyes.

Lissa watched the two of the gaze into each other's eyes and couldn't contain her sigh at the cute scene.

Trowa broke the gaze first, his cheeks flushing slightly as he realized they had an audience. Quatre nearly fainted when he realized that Lissa had seen the look that had passed between him and Trowa. His eyes filled with tears and he whirled to run from the house.

Lissa's mouth dropped open when she saw the look on Quatre's face before he whirled and started to run out of the room. "Quatre, stop, please!" She shouted after him.

He stumbled to a halt right before he passed through the archway to the front door. Tears were spilling from his eyes, streaking his face.

Lissa ran up to him and wrapped him in a hug. "Why are you crying? What did I do?" Her voice was hoarse. It sounded to Quatre like she was about to start crying. He gasped and buried his head in her shoulder.

Realizing that he was seeking comfort in her shoulder, he pulled himself away and turned toward the door.

"You hate me now, don't you? You've found out my secret." Quatre rasped out.

"H-hate you? How could I hate you? You're one of the sweetest people I've ever met. You make Trowa happy, I can see that clearly. You have to be a good person to make others happy."

Quatre gasped as her meaning sunk in. "You mean you don't hate me or Trowa because we're gay?"

"Why would I hate you because you're gay?" Lissa's eyebrows drew in, confusion written across her face.

"Most people do when they find out… Why do you think I was so uncomfortable when we were here the other night? I was scared shitless that you would find out and then refuse to befriend us. We've lost so many friends because of me and Trowa."

"Well, you won't lose me. Or Sara for that matter. We're both very open-minded. Doesn't help that some of our friends from home are gay or bi. We couldn't care less that you and Trowa are a couple. In fact, I personally think you make a really cute couple and I've thought that from the beginning." Lissa smiled and pulled him back into a hug.

Quatre sighed happily and settled into the hug. He saw Trowa framed by a braid that hung over Lissa's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Do you want to know something, Quatre?" Lissa continued as she felt his nod on her shoulder. "Duo asked us that first night if Sara and I were a couple. Do you think it bothered us, even though we aren't? Of course not! By the way, I've also known Duo was gay since that first day. Have you seen me hating him? If anything, it just makes me like him more because I don't have to worry about him wanting to get in my pants." Lissa felt Quatre giggle against her shoulder and couldn't help but join in.

Suddenly, commotion from the direction of the bathroom grabbed their attention. The door to the bathroom swung open with enough force to slam against the wall and bounce off. Duo fell to the floor and cringed when the door hit his head after it bounced.

"Hi. Sorry, lost my balance." He scrambled up and rushed back in the bathroom, but not before the three standing in shock noticed that his bathing suit was only half on.

Wufei stood in the middle of his room, surveying the mess he had made. Trying to find his one bathing suit was turning out to be more difficult than he would have thought.

He sighed and went to his closet. Pulling out his katanas, he pushed the boxes and storage containers around until he found a neatly folded pile of clothes. His eyebrow twitched up. He hadn't realized that he had a pile of clothes back there. He pulled it out and laughed. His bathing suit was there, along with one shirt.

The shirt was black with tire marks diagonally across it in white. Duo had given it to him two years ago for Christmas. He shrugged and decided to wear it over his bathing suit to go over to Sara and Lissa's house.

Quickly changing, he packed another set of clothes and a towel. He laughed silently as the black shirt billowed around him. He had to get used to wearing t-shirts. He snorted and ran out of his room, duffel bag in one hand. He stopped short when he saw Heero standing in front of his closest out of the corner of his eye.

"Heero, I thought you had left with the others." Wufei was now in the threshold of the room.

"D-does… Nevermind." Heero turned away from the closet and pulled his blue bathing suit from his dresser.

"Heero? What is the matter?" Wufei couldn't help but wonder why the boy would be standing in front of his closet motionless.

"Nothing. Let's go." Heero picked up his towel and change of clothes off the bed and slipped past Wufei, down the stairs and out the door.

Wufei stood in shock, then shook his head and followed Heero.

By the time Wufei and Heero arrived at the house, the other three boys were already changed. Lissa and Sara were no where to be seen. Duo was bouncing around the kitchen, looking through the sliding glass doors at the pool. It was obvious that he wanted in, but was told to wait.

"Where are Sara and Lissa?" Wufei asked the obvious question, curious as to why they were waiting.

"Lissa is upstairs getting changed into her bathing suit and Sara…left. We weren't told where she went." Trowa said quietly.

Wufei nodded and placed his change of clothes on the bags already piled in the corner of the kitchen. Heero followed suite.

Sara drove steadily along the highway. She was grinning like a maniac.

They had been planning a get-together with one of their friends for quite awhile. Sara knew it would be a whole lot more interesting now that the boys were involved. She made a mental note to herself to find out where they were all originally from. It was clear that Wufei had Chinese in his background and that Duo was American, but the other boys were a mystery to her.

She pulled up to a large brick house and turned the car off.

Sara was just stepping out of the car when a whirlwind of energy hit her, almost knocking her back into the driver's seat.

"Hey. I knew you missed me, but I hadn't realized how much." Sara's laughter ended in a squeak as all her breath was forced from her lungs by the girl hugging her.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you! My god, it's been almost six months! Was I supposed to not miss you or something?" Aneliya stood back and Sara remembered how tall she was.

"Um… I don't know. You might not have missed me. You never know! Damn, woman, did you get taller?" Sara giggled as a red flush crept up her friend's cheeks.

"I…I think so." Aneliya's head dropped.

"Hey, I'm not making fun of you. I still think it's really cool that you can tower over me and you're a year younger than me." Sara smiled and walked Aneliya around to the other side of the car. "Now, get in the car before I have to force you in."

Aneliya sat quickly in the passenger seat and looked around the car. "By the way, when did you get such a freakin' awesome car?"

Sara laughed and started the car up again. As she pulled out of the driveway and headed for her new home, she told Aneliya what she and Lissa had been doing for the past six months.

"So you mean to tell me that you've only been doing this for six months and it's already made you that much?" Aneliya's shock was evident as Sara pulled smoothly into her driveway.

"Yup. Lissa and I are successful AND we love what we do. What more could any twenty-one year olds want?"

"Um. Boyfriends?" Aneliya looked hesitantly at her friend to see her reaction.

Sara shrugged. "Yeah, that would be nice, but I wouldn't want a boyfriend who was only after my money. Besides, I haven't met anyone worth it yet. I hope to meet that man someday, but, for right now, I'm fine. Besides, you have yet to see who we are going to be swimming with." Sara grinned evilly at her friend.

Duo had forgotten about the sliding glass door because watching it made him want to jump into the pool too much. He had switched to watching out the front door for Sara's car.

"She's back and she has company!" Duo bounced through the house, trying to locate everyone. Heero was, predictably, in the weight room, working out. Wufei was using the yoga room along with Lissa. Lissa was doing yoga and Wufei was practicing his martial arts. Trowa and Quatre were sitting in the living room, talking quietly. "Aren't you guys interested at all?" He shouted and ran out the front door.

"Sara! You're back!"

"Hey, Duo! Were you guys waiting for me? You didn't have to do that!" Sara yelled to him as she hopped out of the car.

"Of course. We couldn't party in the pool without you! It wouldn't have been the same." Duo came to a halt before he hit Sara and then shrugged, throwing himself into her arms for a hug.

"Oh, that's so sweet, Duo. Hey, can I introduce you to someone? You have to let go of me…" Sara smiled and hugged him quickly. "Duo, this is Aneliya. She's joining us for the pool party."

Duo pulled away from Sara and looked at the girl who was stepping out of the car. He smiled.

She was tall, very tall. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, falling down to her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes flashed with intelligence. Her slender figure was covered in a tight dark blue tank top, covered by a red, black, and white jacket, and slightly loose fitting khaki colored shorts. He smiled when he realized that she was nicely endowed. She had an athletic build, which he realized must have been caused by fencing, when she turned around to get her bag out of the car, revealing that her jacket said Fairfield Fencing.

"Hi." Duo held his hand out to her as she rounded the car.

"Hello." She shook his hand, her grip strong and tight.

Duo blinked at her accent. If he hadn't missed his guess, then she had to have lived in Russia for a good portion of her life. He watched her face and saw that she was a little nervous. He glanced at Sara and automatically knew that Aneliya didn't know about the other four.

"Aneliya, why don't we go inside and I'll introduce you to the others." Sara smiled gently at the shocked expression on Aneliya's face.

"O-others? There are more of them?" Aneliya's mouth dropped open. The boy in front of her was gorgeous. If there were more boys in the house, would they all look like this? She shut her mouth quickly and one corner tilted up. She could deal with that.

The three of them walked into the house with Sara in the lead and Duo bringing up the rear.

By the time they made their way inside, Wufei, Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Lissa had all gathered in the living room to greet the guest.

As soon as Aneliya caught sight of Lissa, she ran across the room and threw herself into a hug.

Sara smiled. "Once she's done hugging Lissa, I'll introduce you to my guest." With that, she threw herself on the couch.

Duo giggled slightly and sat down next to her. "I have a question. Is she from Russia?"

"Not telling until you guys give me just a little background on yourselves." Sara smiled evilly.

"I'm American and people used to call me Shinig….Shiney." Duo stumbled at the end of his sentence, causing Sara's eyebrow to lift.

"Shiney? Why Shiney?"

"It's because I'm always so happy." Duo grinned, inwardly pleased at his cover. "Now, can you tell me if I'm right?"

"Nope." Sara's evil grin got even bigger.

"Why not?" Duo's voice got shrill when he realized Sara was baiting him.

"I said I would tell you when you gave me background on _you guys_. You only told me about you." Sara giggled and looked around the room.

The other boys were watching the exchange with shocked expressions. Lissa and Aneliya were talking animatedly in the corner about their lives.

"What if we do not want to tell you our pasts?" Wufei said grumpily.

"I'm not asking for your full history, Wufei. I just want to know where you are all from. If you want to tell me your histories, I'm perfectly willing to listen, but you don't have to." Sara's smile turned gentle.

"Fine. I'm of Chinese descent. Is that enough for you?" He was still grumpy.

"Yup. That's fine. I just want to get to know you guys better."

"I'm of Arabic descent. So are the Maguanacs." Quatre smiled widely at Sara.

Sara's mouth dropped open. Quatre was comfortable and talking without looking around warily.

Quatre smiled at her shocked expression. "Is it because I'm Arabic?" He said jokingly.

"No, not at all. You're comfortable. You're not tense anymore. What happened?" Sara had a confused look on her face.

"Lissa and I had a…talk." Lissa looked up at her name and Quatre grinned at her. He then poked Trowa in the side.

"Oof. What? Oh." Trowa caught Quatre's look and remembered what they were talking about before. "I'm from…Eastern Europe."

Sara's eyebrow lifted at his slight evasion, but she pretended to ignore it and looked over at Heero.

He just glared at her.

She waited patiently.

He grunted. "I'm of Japanese descent."

"Thank you, boys. I've been wondering about that since I met you. The next thing we're going to work on is how you all met, but not today." She saw the boys open their mouths to protest and quickly cut them off. "Now, I believe some introductions are in order." She looked over at Aneliya and saw her gawking at the boys.

Aneliya thought she had died and was now being rewarded. The four boys she had not met stood around the room, looking like young gods. The one Sara had called Wufei drew her eye more than the others, though. She smiled at Sara, knowing that this pool party would be _very_ interesting.

"Aneliya, these boys are Duo, Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, and Heero. Guys, this is Aneliya." Sara grinned as she watched the six interact. Duo and Quatre waved to her. Trowa and Wufei both nodded slightly. Heero just glared at her.

"Wuffie?" She looked at Sara questioningly.

"WUFEI, ONNA!" Wufei yelled, and then sighed under his breath about stupid onnas and Duo.

Aneliya laughed and quickly grabbed his hand as a peace offering.

Aneliya shook each of the other's hands in turn, except Heero's because he hadn't offered it, while she tried not to drool.

The tidal wave splashed over the edges of the pool as Duo disappeared. The other seven stood at the sliding glass door, having just opened it.

"Um. Can I ask something?" Lissa asked quietly as the water slowly ebbed back into the pool.

"Sure." Quartre was the only one who spoke.

"Did you guys give him sugar? Any sugar?" She asked.

"Um. We didn't, but he did have waffles with a massive amount of syrup for breakfast about an hour ago."

Sara and Lissa both glanced at Quatre in shock. "Breakfast? But it's two o'clock!" They said together.

"Yeah. That's usually what we say when he eats that late. But that's when he wakes up." Quatre shrugged. "We're all used to it by now."

They all looked up as Duo shouted for them to join him in the water. Apparently, being in a pool by yourself wasn't that much fun, especially when you were hyper.

"Marco!" Duo called out, waving his arm around like a maniac.

Sara giggled slightly as she and the others called out, "Polo!" Duo looked hilariously while he was trying to find people in their game. His arms waved dramatically and he flopped himself out in the water every time he heard the slightest sound.

Heero stood in the corner of the pool, watching Duo's antics with an almost imperceptible frown on his face. He knew that Duo had excellent hearing. He would be able to hear the noises the water made on a person's body and tell them apart from the normal sounds of a pool. Heero had seen this in action. However, he was acting like he couldn't tell the sounds apart, acting like he couldn't find anyone. Heero didn't understand it. He told himself that he would ask Duo about it later.

Duo threw himself in the direction of the filter, knowing that no one was there. He could hear three people behind him, one to his left, and one to his right. He knew that Heero was the only one not moving, so he had to still be in his same corner. Duo grinned, knowing he could go for any of the people in the pool at any moment, but he wanted to act normal for one day. He wanted to be a regular teenager.

Eventually, he decided he had had enough of being it and it was someone else's turn. He listened carefully as he moved around the pool. The person he was looking for was on the opposite side of the pool than the filter. Hearing the filter up close and personal, he half turned and started for the other side of the pool. He waved his arms around, just for show, as he alternately walked and swam to the other side of the pool. Hearing a slight difference in the water, he threw himself to the side suddenly. His hands connected with solid flesh and muscle, telling him he had hit his target. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled.

Heero looked up in shock as Duo slammed into him. Those violet eyes slid open and Duo smiled up at him. Heero felt warm fingers slide down his chest as Duo pulled his hands away. Duo mumbled something to him as he backed away slowly.

"You're it, Heero." Duo mumbled and started to move away. He shivered, but from the cold water. He could still feel the heat of Heero's body against his hands. Duo turned away and swam quickly to the other side of the pool.

Heero was his best friend and he didn't want to ruin their friendship. He didn't want to reveal his feelings, but he hadn't been able to resist touching Heero. He cursed himself for trying to get Heero involved in the game.

"Duo?" Duo's head jerked up at the sound of Quatre's voice and quickly smiled, masking the other emotions on his face.

"Yeah, Cat?"

Quatre was not impressed with Duo hiding his emotions, but he decided not to press the matter for now. "You still playing?"

Duo nodded and turned around to face the others. Heero was still standing in his corner, shock still evident on his face. Duo flushed slightly and looked away.

The others in the pool all noticed his flush, but made no comments on it. They had all individually decided to talk to him later.

Eight people stood dripping on the patio by the pool. They had eventually given up on playing Marco Polo and just relaxed together.

Duo's stomach growled. It was getting late and they had skipped lunch. He grinned and looked over at Sara and Alissa. "You guys did say that you would make lunch."

Sara and Alissa grinned. "How about we dry off, then we'll make sandwiches? Sound good to you?" Alissa looked expectantly at Duo for his answer.

He nodded vigorously, causing all three girls to the ground with laughter.

1. drools Have you seen this car? dies http/ 


	5. Project GHaDT Begins!

Part 5

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 5?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+OC

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student!

Notes: Please don't judge me too harshly… it's my first long fic! Feedback is always appreciated!

Part Five: Project GHaDT Begins!

Sara and Lissa worked quickly side by side, making sandwiches for Duo, Heero, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, and Aneliya. They had already made enough for everyone to have two, but they knew from that first night that certain ones would eat more than that. Namely Duo.

Duo's eyes were bright as he watched them quickly place slices of ham, turkey, or chicken on bread with cheese and mayonnaise. He licked his lips, knowing the sandwiches would taste amazing. He looked to his right in shock as Heero seemed to choke.

Heero accidentally swallowed a piece of ice, gagging slightly, when he saw Duo lick his lips. His face flushed as he saw Duo look over at him. The boy was the embodiment of sensuality. First with licking his lips, and then with that look. Heero shivered and slid into the all-too-familiar day dream.

"_Heero, I'm tired of fighting this." Duo leaned closer, his breath caressing Heero's cheek gently._

"_Fighting what?" Heero's voice was strained from Duo's proximity._

"_Fighting the attraction I feel for you." Duo closed the distance until his lips were pressed against Heero's. _

_Heero sighed into the kiss, wanting to be closer. He wrapped his arms gently around Duo, pulling the smaller boy closer. He felt the tremble that went through the violet-eyed siren and groaned._

"Heero? Earth to Heero? You there?" Duo's voice broke through Heero's daydream and he blinked in shock at the two very close violet eyes.

"What do you want, Duo?" Heero snapped and almost groaned as the smile on Duo's face dissolved.

"Nothing. Sorry, Heero." Duo's eyes drifted back over to Sara and Lissa as they bought the sandwiches to the table. He forced a grin on his face, feigning excitement as a huge stack of sandwiches was placed in front of him. He quickly surveyed the room and saw plates with at least two sandwiches in front of the other boys. Sara, Lissa, and Aneliya's plates contained one sandwich each. His stack was the tallest with six.

Duo sighed inwardly, no longer hungry, and picked up the first sandwich. Biting into it, he realized two things. It tasted wonderful, but he couldn't stomach it.

Pushing away from the table quickly, Duo walked out of the room, ignoring the questions and calls for him to come back. He didn't even look backwards as he walked out; not needing too see anyone's concerned face.

Sara watched Duo's retreating back and glanced at Heero. His face was emotionless, but regret flickered faintly in his eyes. She looked at Lissa and saw the look on her face. Catching her eye, she nodded and followed Duo.

Sara walked into the weight room and smiled grimly. At least she had found him.

Duo sat in the corner, knees against his chest, his eyes red-rimmed as he fought tears. He looked up when she walked in, then immediately buried his head back onto his knees.

"Duo…" Sara rushed over to him and pulled him into her arms. She stroked a hand over his hair, running it slightly down the braid. He stiffened slightly, but gave up and relaxed against her, tears flowing freely.

"I can't….he just….oh god…" Duo's voice was punctuated by sobs.

"Duo… it's ok. Tell me what's wrong." Sara felt him tremble against her.

Duo sighed through his tears. His throat felt blocked, like a lump had taken hold there, refusing to let words pass.

Sara kept rubbing his back, silently urging him to let everything out.

He started slowly. "Heero and I have been partners for six years now." As words began to slip past the lump in his throat, he began talking faster.

"The first time we met, I shot him." He smiled fondly at the memories his words evoked. "Twice. Then, I saved his life. Anyway, over the years, I realized I was gay. " Duo shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Duo, please. You need to get it off your chest. I promise not to tell anyone. I'm just here to offer you support." Sara pulled him in tightly.

Duo sighed and continued. "Over that first year, I felt strange being around my partner, the one I'm supposed to be the most comfortable with. I started to realize how attractive he was, with his wild hair always falling in front of those cold blue eyes. The strength behind my feelings for Heero scared me, so I ran. I disappeared for awhile, unable to deal with my emotions. I still helped them when they needed me, but I would go my own way afterwards. This went on for a year. Then, one day, I was sitting in my small studio apartment and someone knocks on the door. When I opened it, I almost died of shock. Heero was standing there, waiting for me. He told me he needed me and basically dragged me back to the others. When we got back to the house, everyone hugged me, even Wufei. Ever since then, I've had to hide my feelings from him. It doesn't help that we share a room and that boy has no idea what modesty is." Duo blushed. "You hate me now, don't you?"

"Why would I hate you?" Sara pulled back, genuine confusion on her face.

"Um…because I'm gay?" Duo tensed, ready for her to say that she did hate him.

"You know, Quatre thought that too. Lissa told me. Do we seem like we would hate you just because of your sexual preference?" Sara looked at him, her eyes filled with humor and compassion.

Duo looked up at her hopefully. "You mean you really don't care?"

"Not at all. I've known guys who were gay for a long time. It never bothered me. Why should it start now?"

Duo's smile grew and he threw his arms around Sara. She hugged him tightly and began forming a plan in her head.

Lissa waited one minute after Sara walked out of the room and then stood, walking over behind Heero. Ignoring the glare he was sending her way, she latched onto his ear and dragged him from the room.

"Omae o korosu." Heero glared at Lissa again, after she let go of his ear. She had dragged him into the living room.

"What in all hell do you think you're doing?" Lissa glared right back.

"…"

"That's right, because you don't know. Why do you treat Duo like crap? He obviously only wants to be your friend and you push him away at every turn. What's your problem?" Lissa was yelling as she stood over him.

Heero's glare softened as he listened to her, but he was still glaring.

"Heero, you have to learn to accept people. Why won't you accept Duo?" Lissa stood, tapping her foot, waiting for his answer. "Well?" Her foot was tapping out a staccato beat on the floor as she waited.

"I… I do accept him. Duo is my…friend." Heero's glare faded entirely as he listened to the words coming out of his own mouth.

"Your friend? But you treat him horribly. Whenever you glare at him or act like an asshole, his entire face falls before he makes a joke. Have you ever noticed that before?"

"No." The look that crossed Heero's face was a mix of sorrow, shock, and torment.

"You really should pay more attention to him. He's dying for a little friendship from you." Lissa spun and strode out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Duo and Sara were back at the table. Duo's eyes had scanned the room and he sighed when he realized Heero was not there.

Sara caught Lissa's eye again and winked. Lissa nodded in acknowledgement and looked at Aneliya. She grimaced slightly, and then inclined her head in agreement.

"Boys, we'll be right back. We have to have a 'girls only' meeting." Lissa stood, followed immediately by Sara and Aneliya.

Lissa led the way into one of the bedrooms on the second floor.

"Okay, guys. Project GHaDT has to start now!" Lissa smiled, seeing the confusion on Aneliya's features.

"Project GHaDT? What's that?"

"It's short for Get Heero and Duo Together." Lissa explained calmly.

"Heero and Duo? They would make an awesome couple." Aneliya looked up in excitement as she realized what they would be doing.

"Girls, we need to start with Project GHaDT. I have an idea for what we can do, starting tonight." Lissa leaned in, urging Sara and Aneliya to do the same. Smiling conspiratorially, she whispered her plan to them.

The boys looked up as Aneliya, Lissa, and Sara walked back into the room, evil grins spread across each of their faces.

"Hey. What's with the grins?" Duo looked at each nervously.

"We're just happy. Girl's only meeting went well." Sara said by way of explanation.

"What did you guys have planned for tonight? We don't really feel like staying in, and since we recently moved here, we feel the need to discover this town's nightlife. You up for it?" Lissa smirked.

Duo's eyes went wide and he looked pleadingly at the other pilots. Trowa and Quatre nodded, knowing the mingling was the best thing for all of them. Wufei groaned, but ended up agreeing. Heero had no opinion.

"Ok, then. It's decided. Why don't you guys go get changed and come back over here when you are ready?" Sara suggested.

"We'll be back soon." Duo bounced out of the house, needing the atmosphere of a club as soon as possible.

The three girls grinned and headed up the stairs to change, leaving the others to trail out of the house slowly.

Twenty minutes later, Duo bounced in the living room of the boys' house, waiting impatiently for the others to finish getting ready. "Are any of you done yet?" He shouted, knowing he wouldn't get a reply.

Surprisingly, he heard a muffled "hn" come from the direction of his and Heero's bedroom, and then the door opened.

Heero opened the door and gaped at the vision Duo presented. His violet eyes gleamed, accented by a thin black line of eyeliner. Tight black leather pants hugged his legs, while a silver shirt clung to his chest. The shirt ended just above his stomach, leaving the smooth skin visible. A small gold cross hung from his neck. Heero's eyes were at last drawn to Duo's hair, which was loose, causing him to catch his breath. A touch of silver and gold glitter added an angelic touch, completing the outfit.

He looked up at a gasp and saw Heero. His violet eyes went wide at the tempting boy before him. Heero's dark brown hair was tousled, as usual, but he had added gel to make it hold its shape when he danced. Acid washed blue jeans seemed to be molded to his muscular legs and hips. Tucked into the jeans was a dark blue silk button down shirt, the top two buttons undone. His smooth chest drew Duo's eye immediately. He noticed a black leather collar on Heero's neck and started to drool.

"Duo, you're ready? You're usually the last one ready… What's going on?"

Duo dragged his eyes away from Heero's chest to look at Quatre, who had just walked into the room.

His blonde hair glittered with brighter golden highlights he must have just added. He wore light blue jeans and a pale green button down shirt. His brilliant blue eyes sparkled as Trowa walked into the room.

The taller, auburn haired boy smiled slightly, his visible green eye sparkling back at his blonde lover. Dark blue jeans hugged his lithe frame. A dark green t-shirt with the sleeves cut off hung from his shoulders.

"Where's Fei-chan?" Duo asked, grateful for the other boys' intrusion so Heero wouldn't catch him drooling.

"Maxwell, my name is Wufei!" The Chinese boy stormed into the room.

"Hey, Waffle, calm down." Duo paused. "Hm.. You look good. You primpin' for someone?"

At tell-tale blush flashed on Wufei's cheeks.

The Chinese boy was wearing tight fitting black jeans and a black tank top. Duo's eyes were drawn to the dragon tattoo that wrapped around Wufei's right arm, the greens, blues, and reds standing out next to Wufei's black attire. His gleaming black hair was loose, brushing his shoulders.

"So, which one is it? Sara? Lissa? Aneliya?"

Wufei blushed deeper as Duo said the last name.

Duo grabbed his chest and stumbled to the side, leaning on Trowa for support. He missed the jealousy that flashed in Heero's eyes as he feigned a heart attack.

"Wu-man, you and Aneliya would make a good couple. Are you going to make a move tonight? Being at a club and all, you'll have the perfect opportunity." Duo stood back up and smiled brightly. "By the way, is everyone ready?" At their nods, Duo flew out the door and across the lawn, his black, knee high boots crushing grass and weeds as he went.

Aneliya stepped out of one of the guests rooms and ran her hand through her hair for the fourth time in five minutes. She was nervous. The Chinese boy had caught her eye, so she had dressed with him in mind. Black jeans were molded to her hips, while a blue and black velvet tank top clung to her torso. Her hair hung loose, brushing her bare shoulders with every movement. Black kohl lined her eyes, accenting their dark color. She nibbled on her lower lip nervously, causing it to shimmer in the light. It glinted with a blue-silver color. She rubbed her hands on her pants, a nervous gesture and walked into the living room where Sara and Lissa already waited. She looked over her two friends and smiled. Both their outfits were fun, as always.

Sara stood in front of the television, pacing as she waited for the boys to show up. Her long auburn hair sparkled with silver glitter that matched her eye shadow. Her eyes were rimmed in black, making them seem bigger than they were. The light brown/green color of her eyes was accented by a tight green tank top that only helped to accentuate her curves. Every so often, when Sara turned the right way, Aneliya caught a glimpse of the phoenix tattoo on Sara's right shoulder. A short black leather shirt showed off her long legs, which were encased in platform boots that ended at her knee. She flashed Aneliya a smile when she entered the room, but continued pacing, an impatient cloud hanging over her like her vanilla perfume.

Lissa leaned against the wall near Sara, completely relaxed. Her skirt was similar to Sara's except it was supple suede. It flowed along her skin like water. A shimmering halter top ended an inch above the shirt, allowing the silver and purple star at her belly button to shine in the light. That same purple lined her eyes, contrasting the orange and blue of her eyes (1). The silver was echoed off the multiple piercings in her ears. Her hair caught Aneliya's attention, the intricacy behind it making her gasp. At least three braids were entwined, forming a crown of sorts on her head. Another three looped on the back of her head, flat against it, creating swirls of hair. A final three hung down her back, swaying as she shook her head at Sara's antics.

"I'm guessing we're all set to go and we're just waiting for the boys…" Aneliya asked hesitantly.

"Where are they? They should be here already, they're men. They don't need massive amounts of time to get ready. They are SO dead when they get here." Sara continued her pacing, wearing a line into the carpet on the living room floor.

"Um, hon, they are gay, at least, four of them are. I'm not sure about Wufei. Gay men take longer because they are actually worried about their appearances." Lissa stated; her eyes closed as she rested against the wall.

Sara glared at Lissa, not caring in the least as to why they were late. They were going clubbing and she was READY. The boys needed to move their asses so she could get to the club and dance.

Aneliya looked up as the front door was flung open and an even more gorgeous version of Duo raced into the house, followed by his other breath taking friends.

Sara stopped pacing when Duo ran in and almost started drooling. He looked… delicious. She sighed when she remembered he was gay. All the good ones always were.

Lissa gasped as Wufei, the last of the boys, entered the house. They were making her want to melt.

It was silent as everyone stared at each other. Aneliya couldn't peel her eyes away from Wufei. She wanted to make a move, but didn't know how. He didn't seem interested anyway.

Quatre watched silently from the shelter of Trowa's arms. He almost laughed out loud when he saw Aneliya staring at Wufei. She didn't realize that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Are we ready? Good, let's go." Sara said without waiting for an answer. She grabbed her leather trench coat, slipping it over her shoulders and made a dash for the front door. She was out the door and by the cars before anyone even realized she had spoken.

When they finally made it out of the house, Sara turned to them, a puzzled look on her face.

"Um, guys? What car are we going to take?"

End part 5

1) I honestly know someone with blue eyes that are lined with orange…and yes, her name is Lissa…. :)


	6. Dancing Away Your Troubles

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 6?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+OC

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student!

Notes: Please don't judge me too harshly… it's my first long fic! Feedback is always appreciated!

Part Six: Dancing Away Your Troubles

They were all piled in Quatre's SUV, waiting patiently as the traffic moved slowly through the town. Well, almost everyone.

Duo fidgeted as the car moved two feet, and then stopped again. They had been stuck in traffic for half an hour, barely moving and he wanted to dance. Luckily, in one more block, they would be there.

Sara sighed again. Restlessly, she pulled at the hem of her skirt and brushed her hair from her face. She was ready to start dancing now. What she really wanted to do was hop out of the car and walk the rest of the way, but that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the people in the car. Leaning her head against the back of the seat, Sara closed her eyes and waited for the traffic to start moving again.

Twenty minutes later, Sara opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Quatre was turning into the parking lot of the club. As soon as the car stopped, Sara leapt out, followed closely by Duo. The others followed, each smiling slightly at the antics of the two.

"Everyone, get your id's ready, because tonight, we're going to PARTY!" Sara and Duo shouted this together and ran for the door, giggling like maniacs.

The others followed at a safe distance, rolling their eyes.

Duo and Sara pushed through the doors together after flashing their id's to the bouncers. The muffled beat quickly became louder, allowing them to feel the bass in their chests.

Lissa followed them, dancing slightly to the music as she did. The whole group moved to the back of the club to find a table. Sara spotted an empty one and ran for it, followed closely by Duo.

Heero snorted, not surprised to see Duo chasing after the girl. They seemed perfect for each other. He slid into the booth across from where the two of them were currently seated.

Duo peeked at Heero out of the corner of his eye and his smile faltered. Heero seemed unhappy, like he didn't want to be there. Duo tried to concentrate on what Sara was saying to him, but he couldn't help but be distracted. Heero looked amazing AND unhappy. He felt like he had to do something to fix that.

"Hey, Duo, want to dance with me?" Sara asked, looking hopefully at the braided boy.

"Of course, why else would we come to a club?" He grinned, his eyes pausing on Heero before he got up and followed Sara out to the dance floor.

Heero watched them leave the table, sighing almost inaudibly. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he wanted to be the one out there on the dance floor with Duo.

"Hey, Heero?" Lissa was watching the dark haired boy as he brooded.

"Hn."

"Come dance with me, please?" Heero looked up, startled, into Lissa's eyes. They were pleading with him, just like Duo's did sometimes. Heero couldn't refuse those eyes. He nodded slightly and was immediately engulfed in a hug. Lissa then proceeded to drag him out onto the dance floor.

Sara watched silently as Duo moved to the music. The song, Sandstorm, was an old favorite of hers, one of the reasons she had wanted to dance immediately after they had sat down at the table.

The beat was pounding through Duo's body, taking it over quickly. He moved with Sara, unaware of her perusal. He could only feel the music and worry about how he felt for Heero.

Heero couldn't pull his eyes away from Duo and Sara. They looked so… happy together. They moved together perfectly, in time with the beat, unlike many couples on the dance floor.

Heero was so caught up in watching the two of them dancing; he didn't notice that Lissa had moved in closer. He almost jumped when he felt her breath near his ear. Almost.

"Ya know, Heero, you should go dance with him."

Heero looked up at Lissa, shock showing clearly in his eyes, but not in his features.

"Hn."

"That was cute the first few times, but you really should speak. You have a sexy voice, one that a certain braided boy loves to hear."

This time the shock was written clearly across Heero's face.

"Yes, Heero. You heard right. You two need to get past your insecurities and let each other know how you feel." Lissa smiled reassuringly and pushed Heero gently in the direction of Duo and Sara.

Lissa sighed and watched him walk hesitantly over. Sara noticed him and quickly whispered something in Duo's ear. Lissa almost laughed out loud at how easily Sara knew what was going on.

"You're an amazing dancer. What I want to know is why did the most attractive woman on the dance floor gave up her partner and is not dancing anymore?"

Lissa flipped around in shock at the husky tone behind her. She found herself gazing up into grey eyes. Her eyes drifted over the man in front of her. He was tall. He towered over her and she was not a short woman. His black hair fell in gentle waves to his ears, softening his angular features. The grey of his eyes was accented by the dark grey shirt he wore, which was tucked into black leather pants. The shirt was only partially buttoned, hanging open and giving Lissa a perfect view of his muscular chest.

Shaking her head slightly, she laughed. "Because said partner is now trying to dance with the one he should be dancing with and I'm happy for them."

The man smiled down at her and held his hand out.

"Would you honor me with a dance, since you no longer have a partner?"

Lissa nodded, taking his hand. "My name is Lissa."

"Hello, Lissa. My name is Kaie."

Kaie pulled Lissa closer, drawing her into the dance like a siren.

Sara looked up from watching Duo dance and saw Heero head slowly their way. She smiled widely and thought quickly. How was she to leave without alarming Duo?

"Duo." She smiled again as he blinked up at her. "I just remembered something I have to tell Lissa before I forget again. I'll be right back. Don't move." Sara's eyes twinkled as she walked backwards quickly. When she was sure that Duo wasn't going to move, she flipped around and headed for the table.

Duo watched Sara, noticing the twinkle in her eye. He grinned. He didn't want to find out why she had that evil twinkle in her eye. It usually meant mischief. He continued moving to the music, letting the pulse invade him again. The song had changed. He hadn't noticed until Sara had pulled away. The rap beginning to The Way You Move had blended into the ending of Sandstorm. He smiled slightly at the change in tempo and genre.

Heero cleared his throat as he walked up to Duo and saw Sara leaving. The braided boy had continued to move to the music, hips swinging and gyrating. Heero inhaled deeply, drawing up the usually bountiful courage from its hiding place. He reached out slowly, almost afraid to touch the vision in front of him.

Duo froze at the hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly, reflexes honed almost from birth forcing him to react. His tense muscles relaxed when he realized that the hand on his shoulders had been Heero's.

"Having a good time, Hee-chan?" Duo looked up at Heero, wondering at the strange look in his eyes.

Heero cleared his throat again and dropped his hand back to his side.

"Duo…"

"Yeah, Heero?" Duo saw Heero pull his shoulders back, like he was trying to draw up courage.

"Duo… would you… that is… will you dance with me?" Heero closed his eyes as the words poured from his mouth, afraid that Duo would reject him.

A grin slowly spread across Duo's face as he nodded slightly.

As Heero's arms went around Duo, the song's chorus came on.

The two boys became almost oblivious to the other couples on the dance floor.

Duo was in Heaven. Heero had his arms around him and they were grinding in the middle of a club! He couldn't think of anything he would like more.

Heero was surprised at Duo's ready acceptance at his request. He looked down at the boy in his arms and felt his lips twitch in response to the smile on Duo's face. Those violet eyes opened slightly and Duo's smile grew.

Duo grinned wickedly. There was something that he might enjoy more, although he wouldn't be able to see Heero's face when he did it. He'd always wanted to try it, but had never truly had the opportunity.

Heero gasped as Duo turned suddenly within the circle of his arms. Suddenly, Duo's hips and back were pressing against Heero's hips and chest. Heero gulped as Duo continued to move to the music.

Sara was sitting at the table when she saw Duo maneuver quickly. She giggled hysterically at the look on Heero's face. He just didn't have a clue what to do other than keep moving.

She looked out over the rest of the dance floor, sighing happily for all her friends. While she had been on the dance floor with Duo, Quatre and Trowa had slipped off to dance in a darkened corner. Aneliya has succeeded in dragging Wufei onto the dance floor. She laughed when she realized that Wufei didn't look the least bit reluctant anymore.

Sara's eye was caught by the sight of Lissa, dancing in the arms of an unknown man. Sara's smile grew. 'She deserves happiness and she looks really happy in his arms. Ah, I love gossip after clubbing.' Sara sat back and relaxed, nursing the Sam Light sitting in front of her.

Yawing widely, Sara stretched and snuggled back under her covers. A wide smile crossed her face and she rolled out of bed. Changing into a pair of black sweatpants and a forest green tank top, she walked out of her room. Peeking through the open door into Lissa's room, she smiled at the sight that greeted her, and then went in search of the others that had invaded their house after getting back from the club.

Lissa snuggled deeper into the warmth of her covers. Her eyes opened wide as she felt weight on her stomach. Warm weight. Shifting slightly, she looked down and saw an arm, but it wasn't one of hers. It was more muscular, not to mention hairier. It tightened around her stomach, pulling her closer to a heat source that was obviously not just her blankets.

Lissa rolled onto her back, gazing at the gorgeous man lying by her side. She sighed; the memories of the night came flooding back to her. Smiling slightly, she reached up and brushed his thick hair from his forehead. The slight movement caused his eyes to flutter and open slowly.

When Kaie realized where he was, a slow smile spread across his face.

"Hey."

"Hey." Lissa blushed when she realized she was in bed with another man after meeting him the night before. "Oh god."

"What's wrong?" Kaie looked at her in concern.

"I…did we…oh god…we didn't...?" Lissa trailed off and looked away, unable to face him.

"No, we didn't do anything. I just crashed here because you offered. I did not take advantage of your inebriation." He slid his hand behind Lissa's head and pulled her in for a soul-searing kiss.

Lissa didn't respond, as her mouth was… otherwise occupied for the moment.

Sara hummed softly as she walked throughout the house, looking for the last couple. She had already found Quatre and Trowa lying curled together on the couch in the living room and Wufei and Aneliya snuggling under the blankets on Aneliya's bed. Heero and Duo were still missing in action, however.

Slightly confused, she checked the one room she hadn't thought anyone had used last night. The game room. Pulling open the door, she smiled dreamily at the sight.

Heero and Duo lay on the green felt of the pool table, covered in the afghan from the couch that Quatre and Trowa had taken over.

Duo was sprawled, taking up most of the pool table, with Heero snuggled up to his sides.

Grinning, Sara decided to make breakfast and quietly shut the door.

Standing in the kitchen, Sara mixed batter for pancakes and danced to the music in the background. _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ was currently playing and Sara thought it was fitting. She smiled even more as she heard the soft sounds of four couples waking up.

Quatre groaned and tried to roll over. A band of steel held him in place and he pushed against it, straining for freedom.

Opening his eyes slightly, he clamped them closed again to block out what he thought was the brightest light he had ever seen.

"Trowa…please….let me up…" Quatre moaned as his stomach churned.

A grunt set his brain on fire and the band of steel disappeared.

Pushing himself up, he moved as quickly at he could manage towards the bathroom and locked the door.

Sara looked up from flipping pancakes to see Trowa stumble in, followed closely by Wufei and Aneliya.

"Trowa-babe, where's Cat?" Sara asked.

"Worshipping the porcelain god and no, I can't be with him because he locked the door and I couldn't get in."

Sara smiled conspiratorially and pulled open a drawer. Tossing a small silver key at him, she then slid pancakes off of the griddle and added more batter.

Trowa smiled slightly and walked out of the room.

As the batter started to cook, Sara turned and leaned back against the stove.

"So, how are you two on this fine morning?"

"Perfectly fine." Wufei smiled happily in Aneliya's direction.

Oh, it's like that, is it? Sara thought to herself. "So, what are your plans for today?"

"Nothing, really. I don't have to go back to the apartment anytime soon and since I don't enjoy being there, is it okay for me to stay here today?" Aneliya looked at Sara through her bangs and smiled.

"Dude, of course you can stay here. We wanted you to visit because we missed you." Sara walked across the room and hugged Aneliya. "Besides, Lissa and I have to talk to you later."

Sara turned back and continued cooking pancakes, ignoring the confused look on Aneliya's face.

Duo stretched and then snuggled back into the warmth on his side. The warmth moved a little, confusing Duo's sleep-muddled mind. Blankets and pillows didn't usually move, right?

He blinked sleepily, trying to find out why things that weren't supposed to move were moving.

He sat up and opened his eyes in shock. Heero had been curled against him! Heero's eyes were moving quickly behind his eyelids, indicating dreams. He looked… innocent… and vulnerable in sleep.

As he gazed down at Heero's face, Heero's eyes slid open slowly. He blinked up at Duo and then vaulted off the make-shift bed.

Duo hadn't noticed until Heero moved that they were lying on a pool table. He almost giggled, except the look on Heero's face stopped him.

"What the hell do you think you were doing? Why were you sleeping with me? Why don't I remember last night? Did you slip something into my drink? I trusted you." Heero looked at Duo with condemnation in his eyes.

"Heero…. I don't know what happened last night. I know I didn't drug you… I think we just got really trashed. I'm sorry… I don't know what happened…" Duo's voice trailed off and tears filled his eyes.

Heero snorted and stalked from the room.

Duo sat in shock for a full minute. When what had happened finally hit him, he curled into a ball and tried to stifle the sobs.

"Boys don't cry. Boys don't cry." He repeated this mantra even as he contradicted it.

Heero stalked through the house, moving closer to the sounds of other people. He stopped just outside the door to the kitchen.

Quatre stood wearily in the corner, wrapped in Trowa's arms. His face looked slightly green, but he was smiling as he watched the antics of the others in the room.

Sara stood before the stove. Her back was to him, but he could see that she was creating something in a frying pan.

Wufei and Aneliya were arguing good-naturedly as they watched whatever Sara was doing.

Sara picked up a spatula and flipped pancakes into the air. Heero vaguely noticed that they were not circular, but elongated. He passed it off as unimportant.

He was about to walk into the room when Lissa entered with a man that was slightly familiar. His arms were wrapped around her waist and she was smiling like the cat that had finally gotten hold of the canary and wasn't about to let it go.

"Hey, hey, hey, good morning'. You guys sleep well?" Sara grinned at the couple before turning back to her frying pan.

"Very well, actually. I hate to say this, but I don't remember last night all that well, so…um..." Kaie smiled hesitantly.

"Hi, Kaie, I'm Sara. The couple in the corner to my left are Trowa and Quatre, the couple in the corner to my right are Wufei and Aneliya, and the missing couple is Duo and Heero. Speaking of those two, where are they?"

Heero retreated so he wouldn't be heard when he heard Sara say that. He slipped quickly through the house, finding the weight room with ease.

end part six

Feedback is always loved! whispers I might even respond… I do that sometimes…. Or all the time!


	7. Deeper Into the Rabbit Hole

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 7?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+OC

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student! Also, any songs mentioned are not my own, although I would love to own them because they are very good songs. Wanna give them to me for my birthday?

Notes: Please don't judge me too harshly… it's my first long fic! Feedback is always appreciated! Also, sorry I haven't updated in awhile. It's been an interesting summer, but I hope to work on all my stories at some point in the near future.

Part Seven: Deeper Into the Rabbit Hole

Duo uncurled. He had to take a shower. He smelled like… Heero. He stiffened at the thought and rolled off the pool table. He had to get that smell off of himself and snuck through the house, avoiding the kitchen. He knew that that would be where everyone gathered.

Slipping out the front door, Duo hurried across the yard and let himself into their house. He pounded up the stairs, ripping his Heero-scented clothing as he went.

He turned on the shower, standing naked in the bathroom. He tried to block the memories from the night before, squeezing his eyes shut as if it would help.

Plunging his head under the icy stream, he shivered. Duo stood under the cold water, trying to distract himself. All he could see when he closed his eyes was the look that had been on Heero's face. He saw the betrayal, anger, and fear.

Duo sighed and turned the heat of the water up, realizing that freezing himself to death wouldn't solve anything.

He scrubbed his skin roughly, remembering the night before. He hadn't been as drunk as everyone had thought he was. Mostly, he had been drunk on happiness of having Heero so close to him.

They hadn't done anything except snuggling, dancing, and a few kisses exchanged before falling asleep. Duo didn't know what to think now that Heero was acting like he had been betrayed. He shivered, even under the heat of the water, and pressed against the wall, sliding down slowly so he was sitting on the floor.

He huddled in the corner of the shower stall and cried.

Lissa sat at the kitchen table, wondering where Duo and Heero were. She knew that they weren't in the game room, which was where Sara had found them. She had checked. She shook her head and wondered what had happened last night.

Kaie came up behind her, slipping his arms around her shoulders.

"Hon, I have to go home and take a shower. Would it be presumptuous of me to come back over after I get clean?"

"Not at all. We're supposed to hang out with the boys today, so you can join us."

Kaie smiled and pulled her closer.

"I'll miss you." He slid his hand through her hair and gently pushed her face towards his, giving her a goodbye kiss.

When he pulled away, Lissa waved at him, dazed. She watched him leave through the front door before she finally snapped out of it.

Smiling happily, she decided that she was in definite need of a shower after the night of dancing. Skipping up the stairs, she disappeared with a flash of long brown hair.

Cobalt eyes watched her leave the kitchen. Already, a plan was forming behind those cold eyes.

Fifteen minutes later found Lissa standing in a towel in her bedroom, humming softly to herself. She looked through drawers, pulling out clothing that might work for the day. Unfortunately for her, none of them seemed nice enough for when Kaie would eventually arrive back at the house.

She stood, unaware that she was being watched, gripping a plain red t-shirt triumphantly.

Lissa turned and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Heero standing inside her door, staring at her.

"Hey, Heero. Where's Duo? We were looking for you two before. You missed breakfast and it was really good. Sara made pancakes…" Lissa trailed off as she noticed the look in Heero's eyes.

"What are you doing here, Heero?" Lissa started backing away as Heero stepped forward and swung her door shut.

"I'm here to prove something."

"What?" Lissa met resistance at her back and glanced behind her to see her dresser. She started to slide sideways, but was stopped by Heero's iron grip on her arm. "Heero, let me go. You're hurting my arm."

Heero stopped, his cold gaze moving to the arm he was gripping. He loosened his grip enough that it wouldn't hurt anymore and moved closer.

"I need to prove to you and to everyone that I feel nothing for Duo. Apparently my actions last night made you think that there is something between us. That is false."

Heero cut off Lissa's protests with his lips. He kissed her with bruising force, as if trying to make himself more enthusiastic about it.

When Heero finally pulled away from her, Lissa's lips were swollen but she was looking at him with sympathy in her gaze.

"Heero, no matter how many people you kiss, you will always have feelings for Duo. Why do you think we have been trying so hard to get you two together?"

Heero backed away from her quickly, shaking his head.

"It's not true. It's not."

Lissa stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Heero.

"Honey, you may not want to believe it, but you do have feelings for Duo. You have to loosen up. It may not seem right for you to have feelings for him right now, but if you relax and let those feelings come out, then you will find out how right it does feel when Duo returns those feelings." Lissa squeezed his shoulders gently and forced him to sit on the edge of her bed.

Heero stared at the wall, unable to come to terms with what she was saying. "How do you know I have feelings for him? What if what you think you see is really just our friendship?"

"Heero, it's our job to know. Sara and I make a living off knowing things like that. We knew from the moment we saw you and Duo together that you were both off-limits. I'm not even going to let you know how disappointing that was. Seriously, first, we lose the wonderful prospects of Quatre and Trowa and then we realize that you two are gone too? It was horrible. We were happy we at least had Wufei, but then Aneliya comes along and he gets scooped up." Lissa punched him lightly in the arm. "You don't have to be so hard on yourself or on Duo. Just let him in and you'll be surprised at what you find."

Lissa stood up when she finished talking and pulled Heero to his feet. "Now, I hate to be rude, but go mull over that for awhile because I have to get dressed and blow dry my hair before Kaie gets back." Lissa grinned and pushed him out the door.

Heero leaned against the door to Lissa's room and sighed. That plan had been blown to hell. He wandered through the house and ended up in the weight room again. Deciding that working out would clear his head; he set the nearest machine to its highest setting and went at it.

"So, what do you guys have planned for today? We have to do something, or I'll go crazy." Sara smiled at the boys sitting around the living room.

"Since we've known each other, you've mentioned that you used to play rugby in college. Do you think you could teach us and few others how to play?" Wufei spoke up when everyone else stayed quiet.

"Depends on who you have in mind…" Sara smiled jokingly at Wufei.

"I'm sure we can get a group big enough. How many people do we need?"

"Um... I think we would need fourteen people. I would assume that you three would be playing, right?"

Quatre grimaced. "I think I would rather watch. It seems like a pretty violent sport." Trowa tried to cover his snort with a cough, but not before Sara caught it.

"Okay, so you two, Duo, Heero, me, and most likely Kaie, since he's coming back are going to play. Do you think you can gather at least six more people? I'm going to try and get two others."

As it turns out, the only one that the boys could think of who might know people to play with them was Duo. Duo was, unfortunately, still missing in action, as well as Heero. Everyone that Sara knew lived much too far away or was too busy to be able to play.

Sara waited until Lissa came down from getting ready before she left to find Duo. She had seen Heero go into her weight room before, but she still had no idea where Duo might have gone off to. She had figured they would be joined at the hip today, but apparently, that was not so.

Ten minutes later, after she had checked the whole house, Sara was getting frustrated. She was sure that no one had left yet, but now she wasn't so sure. Duo was no where to be found.

Sara slipped out the back door and walked over to the boys' house. By the time she had reached the back door and slipped inside, she knew exactly where Duo was.

Sara walked through the kitchen and up the stairs to the bathroom. Steam was leaking slowly out from under the door and she could hear water running. She could also hear a faint, keening sob. Her heart reached out for the boy on the other side.

Knocking lightly on the door, she called his name.

"Duo? Sweetie, I know you're in there and I need to know if you're okay." The sob halted abruptly and she heard rustling.

Duo's breath caught at the sound of Sara's voice. _Shit, shit, shit_. She had come over here to check up on him. He stretched his legs out and stood quickly, hoping she hadn't heard him crying. He seriously doubted it though, because she wanted to know if he was okay.

"I'll… I'll be out in a minute." Duo turned off the shower and stumbled around, trying to find the towel he grabbed.

His foot hit a puddle in the middle of the floor and he fell backwards. He crashed down, his head connecting with the rack that held up the towels.

Sara jumped when she heard the crash. "Duo? Duo, are you alright?"

When Duo didn't answer, Sara jiggled the door knob to find out if he had locked the door or not. Relief flooded through her when she found it unlocked.

Pushing open the door, Sara gasped at the sight that met her eyes. Duo lay sprawled, naked, on the floor. His modesty was protected only by the towel that lay draped over his abdomen and legs.

Sara threw herself to the ground next to him, shaking his shoulders to wake him up. Tears started flowing when he didn't immediately start responding.

"Duo, please, wake up. Duo! Come on, you can't do this. You can't leave us, we all need you! Duo, snap out of it. Think of Heero. Please, Duo." Sara's voice became beseeching and her tears dropped onto his still face. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let herself sob.

Duo felt someone clinging to him and groaned. He took a mental inventory of his body and wondered why he was on a cold floor, naked, with someone clinging to him and sobbing. Wait… sobbing?

Duo lifted his head just slightly away from the floor and opened his eyes. At first, all he saw was a blur of auburn. As his vision cleared, he focused and realized that it was Sara that was sprawled against his chest.

"Sara, what are you doing?" His voice rasped out of his throat and he remembered all the crying he had done.

"Duo! You're okay! I was so worried. You wouldn't answer me and I thought… but you're fine. Oh god, I'm so glad you're okay." Sara had pulled away to look at him, but she pulled him back to squeeze all the air from his lungs.

"Sara… Can't… Breathe." Duo gasped out the sentence and Sara's arms immediately loosened.

"Sorry, I was just really worried." Sara started stroking Duo's hair. "Why were you crying?"

Duo pushed away from her and started to get up. Suddenly, he remembered that he was naked but for the towel that was only barely draped over him. He looked at Sara imploringly.

Sara nodded and stood, hugging him gently before she turned and left the bathroom.

As he shut the door, she called out, "We ARE going to talk about this once you get that towel wrapped around your waist!"

Duo wrapped the towel around his waist slowly, in no hurry to go out there and talk.

He leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. He could hear Sara tapping her foot impatiently in his bedroom.

Duo looked in the mirror and grimaced at his hair. He worked it into a passable braid, trying not to pull on it too hard because he could feel the bump forming on the back of his head already.

When he finally opened the door, he saw Sara pacing back and forth in his room and knew he couldn't sneak past her. He wouldn't have clothes to put on once he was gone.

Duo walked into his room and rummaged through his drawers, pulling out a pair of black boxers. He slid them on under his towel and pulled out a pair of blue gym shorts. He threw the towel on the floor and stepped into his shorts while he looked for his black t-shirt. He pulled it on and turned around, surprised to see that Sara had turned her back and was waiting for him to give her the okay to turn around.

"You can turn around now."

Sara turned with a smile and sat on Duo's bed, patting the space beside her.

He sighed and, shoulders slumped, sat down next to her.

Sara immediately wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. He stiffened and tried to pull away, but relaxed when she didn't let go.

"I don't know what happened, but I know you need to talk about it with someone. I'm here. Use me as your stress ball." Sara stroked Duo's hair as she spoke.

"I…" Memories of last night and this morning flashed through Duo's mind and tears pricked the back of his eyes.

"He thinks I betrayed him. I don't know what happened while I was sleeping, but I woke up to him accusing me of…of…drugging him…" Duo broke down and started sobbing in Sara's arms.

"Shh…it's okay, Duo. You didn't betray him and you certainly didn't drug him. You know that and deep down, so does he. If anyone betrayed anyone, it was Heero. He led you to believe something and then pulled away and accused you of things he knows you would never do." Sara pulled her head back and tilted Duo's head up so she could look him in the eyes. "He'll come around. Either that, or I'll smack him around a little." Sara wiped away his tears and hugged him again.

She pulled away slightly and looked down into his eyes. "Now, I want you to dry your eyes and come with me over to my house and we'll see what we can do about teaching you the wonderful sport of rugby."

Duo grinned at Sara and used the edge of his discarded towel to dry his eyes.

Lissa looked up from brushing out her hair on the couch to see Duo and Sara walked back into the room, arm in arm and giggling.

"And then I said to him, 'If you think those antics will get her to notice you, you can keep trying. All its doing is making you look like an idiot.'"

Duo giggled. "He was really doing all that to try and get her attention? Why didn't he just go up to her and say hello?"

"He never made it close enough for her to ask him. He passed out when he was about five feet away from her and didn't wake up before we had to leave. I wish we could have stayed at that club, but it was almost closing time." Sara shrugged and pulled Duo down on the couch with her.

"So, has he come up with any people to play rugby?" Lissa asked.

Sara blinked innocently. "Oops."

Lissa giggled and asked Duo if he knew anyone who would be willing to make a day of learning to play rugby.

He thought for a moment.

"Erm… I know three guys who might be willing to do it. Let me give them a call and see what they think. Be right back." Duo got up and walked out to the kitchen to grab the phone.

Sara sighed. "I hope he brings someone cute."

"You're not doing anything today? Great! Would you be willing to come meet us at the park to play rugby? You would? Awesome! You're bringing who? That's perfect. Thanks, buddy. See ya soon!" Duo hung up with a huge smile on his face and walked back out to the living room to let Sara and Lissa know of his success.

"So, it turns out that a few of my friends were bored and were trying to figure out what to do for the day. I called just in time. My friend Aaron is bringing Ryan and Ian."

Sara pushed herself off the couch. "Now, I have to go make my call and see if two or three people are available. While I do that, Lissa can call Kaie on the phone and see if he can bring at least one more person." Sara walked out of the room quickly.

Duo, curious to see who she would call, followed her and listened in on her conversation.

Sara stood at the counter, tapping her foot as she waited for someone to pick up the other line.

"Josh, hey. What's up and what are you doing today?" She paused, waiting for an answer.

"So, you have nothing to do? How would you feel about coming here to play a little rugby with some friends of mine? You would! Great! Would I mind? Of course not! They're always welcome. Sure. Twenty minutes. See you then!" She hung up the phone and danced quickly around the kitchen.

"Lissa, phone's free! If he can bring one person, we're good!" With that final statement, Sara ran up the stairs to change into an old pair of shorts and t-shirt.

Twenty minutes later, a group of sixteen people were milling around in the middle of Gould Manor. Sara's brother Josh had brought his friends John and Dave. Kaie bought his best friend Dakin. Duo introduced his friends Aaron, Ian, and Ryan.

Sara stood in the middle of the group and explained the sport of rugby as best as she could. Half an hour later, teams were decided and they set up the field. It was Sara, Duo, Josh, Dave, Aneliya, Trowa, and John against Dakin, Heero, Ian, Ryan, Wufei, Kaie, and Aaron. Lissa and Quatre were going to sit on the sidelines and be the official 'cheerleaders'.

The game started off well enough. Everyone had understood the rules enough to get by. The scrum was the hardest part, but not because no one understood, but because of the fact that Duo and Heero had to have their heads right next to each other and Duo was definitely uncomfortable with that.

During the time out, he brought his complaints to Sara.

"I can't do this anymore. I don't want to be so close to him. Can we switch my position? Please?" He looked at her pleadingly.

"I'm really sorry, Duo, but you're the only one who can do what needs to be done as the hooker (1). The game is only another seven minutes, you can skip out of the next game or something." Sara looked at him sympathetically.

"Yeah, fine." Duo headed back out onto the field, a scowl that rivaled Heero's on his face.

Six minutes into the second half of the game, Duo was running for the try line (2) and everyone was chasing him. He never noticed Aaron coming in from his right side.

Aaron hit him with enough force to knock him six feet to the left. As he crumbled to the ground, his head hit an almost unnoticeable rock and was knocked unconscious.

Everyone froze, waiting for Duo to move.

Thirty seconds passed and he still hadn't moved. Heero and Sara were the first ones to reach him.

"What's wrong with him? A rock this small would not have done anything to him!" Heero was screaming, a panicked edge to his voice.

"I don't know about you, but a rock that size would have done the same thing to me. However, Duo has already hit his head today…" Sara trailed off, knowing that now would be a bad time to let Heero know that it was because of him that Duo had been so oblivious to his surroundings.

"What are you talking about?" Heero's voice was like ice.

"He took a shower before coming back over to our house and when he got out, he slid on a puddle of water and his head hit the wall. He was out for about a minute."

Heero grumbled under his breath and checked all of Duo's vital signs.

"He needs to go to the hospital, Heero. I'll take the two of you."

Heero nodded sharply; and, as gently as he could, he picked Duo up and ran to Sara's car, Sara following closely on his heels.

End part 7

Not that kind of hooker. shakes a finger at the dirty minds out there It's a position in rugby.

Another rugby word. It's basically the goal line (think football).

Sorry I didn't explain more about rugby, but if I had gone into detail about the rules or the game in general, this chapter would have been at least eight hundred pages long.

points up Yes, you did see new characters!… But most of them are unimportant, so I'll describe and introduce the important ones in the next chapter. Sorry for how quickly I go over them, but if I described all of them, that's seven descriptions. I, for one, would be bored of both writing and reading them. More description in the next chapter, I promise!


	8. Trials and Tribulations

Title: Holding Out for a Heero 8?

Author: Gaia

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+OC

Rating: PG-13-R

Warnings: slight language, slight sexual content, self-insertion, slight OOC, AU

Disclaimers: While I would love to own the Gundam pilots, I don't, so don't sue me. I'm just a jobless college student! Also, any songs mentioned are not my own, although I would love to own them because they are very good songs. Wanna give them to me for my birthday? The only things I own happen to be anyone mentioned that is NOT a gundam pilot or from the gundam series.

Notes: Please don't judge me too harshly… it's my first long fic! Feedback is always appreciated! I know I didn't put descriptions in last time, but this time, at least two more people will be described, I promise! Also, I'm very sorry I haven't updated in so long, but it's been…weird… I'M REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY!

Part Eight: Trials and Tribulations

Lissa and Quatre stared in shock as Aaron hit Duo and Duo fell to the ground. When he didn't move, they both raced over to where the others were standing in time to watch Sara and Heero race away, Heero cradling Duo gently in his arms.

Chaos reigned for the next minute and a half as everyone rushed to their cars to head to the hospital.

In the hospital waiting room, thirteen people sat tapping their feet, tapping their fingers, pacing, or being all around jittery. They hadn't had any word from a doctor or Heero and Sara and all of them were beginning to get extremely worried.

Lissa sat next to Kaie, squeezing his hand for reassurance. Next to her, Dakin sat wringing his hands. He moved as if to tap Lissa on the shoulder, but hesitated and ran his hand through his brown hair instead. He looked as if he was arguing with himself for a few minutes and finally, making a decision; he cleared his throat and tapped Lissa on the shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Lissa's gaze flicked from where her hands were linked with Kaie's to Dakin's face.

"Um… I know this is a bad time and all… and I know that this is going to sound stupid considering everything, but…um…" Dakin trailed off and focused his gaze on his hands.

"What is it, Dakin?" Lissa asked patiently.

"It's just that… when I first got to the field this morning, the first person I noticed was Sara… and I couldn't stop watching her all day. Is she… is she with anyone? Like the guy who got hurt… Duo was his name, right?"

Lissa smiled softly. If she hadn't already found Kaie, she would probably be attracted to him. He was tall, at least two inches taller than Kaie, with straight brown hair that fell past his ears and vibrantly green eyes set in an angular face. He was well muscled without being too built and was exactly the kind of guy that Sara would like.

"She's single and most definitely looking for a relationship, if that's what you're asking."

Dakin's eyes jerked up from his hands to settle on her eyes before a slow grin spread across his face.

"Thank you. That is definitely what I needed to hear."

Sara and Heero stood outside the door of the emergency room, waiting for word on Duo's condition.

"Hey, Heero? I have a couple of questions I would like you to answer for me if you would." Sara looked at him patiently out of the corner of her eye.

"Hn."

"Since I'm assuming you mean I can go ahead and ask you, I'm going to. I heard all about last night and this morning from Duo, so don't deny the facts. Why did you dance with him so willingly last night and then act like he betrayed you this morning?"

"I… I don't know what came over me last night… or this morning. It's just… with all the emotions and the music last night, I felt like I could act like I wanted to. This morning… I didn't know how Duo or any of you would react if you had seen us… together. I reacted badly to the situation." Heero turned his head away, ashamed at how he had acted.

"Heero, do you know why he left my house today and went to take a shower?" Sara looked at him steadily, waiting for him to make eye contact.

"Did he leave because of me?"

"He needed to get away for a little while so that he could calm down. He was sobbing when I went over to check on him and wasn't paying attention. He really did slip on a puddle and knock himself out. And don't worry, I didn't see anything. He was covered by the towel." Sara said the last bit because Heero had started glaring at her when she mentioned him being in the shower.

"He got hurt because he was upset about what I'd done. Why does this not surprise me? Every time I make a mistake, people get hurt." Heero dropped his head to his chest and sighed. "As soon as we can get in to see him, I'm apologizing and seeing if Duo will accept that apology."

"That's a good idea. I'm glad we had this talk, but we really need to talk more Heero. You're always talking to Lissa. You can talk to me too, ya know." Sara elbowed him gently and was rewarded with a light punch to her upper arm.

At that moment, a doctor walked out of the emergency room.

"Family for Duo Maxwell?" He looked at them with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes, that's us." Sara and Heero pushed away from the wall and waited patiently for the doctor to continue.

He consulted his notes and looked back at him. "Duo Maxwell has suffered a massive concussion and minor contusions to his ribs. Other than that, he's fine. He just needs to stay overnight so we can observe him and make sure there are no ill effects from the concussion. We're moving him to his own room in about ten minutes. You can follow and then visit him." The doctor smiled and went back into the emergency room.

Sara smiled softly at the look of relief on Heero's face.

"Hey, Heero. After they lead us to his room, we should probably find the others and let them know the news."

Heero nodded vaguely, not paying any attention to her and staring intently at the door, waiting for his first glimpse of Duo.

True to his word, the doctor wheeled Duo out of the emergency room with the help of nurses within ten minutes.

Duo waved wearily at the two of them and let his hand drop back onto the bed. He turned his head to the side so he could see them as they moved.

Sara reached out and grabbed Duo's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She then grabbed Heero's hand and, before he could pull away, placed his hand in Duo's. Duo looked up at her with a shocked expression as she pushed Heero closer and walked on the other side.

Upon reaching the room in which Duo would be staying, Sara tapped Heero on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go find the others and let them know where the three of us are. I'll be back with whoever's here in about five minutes." She looked pointedly at Heero and walked out.

"Duo, I want to apologize for my behavior over the last two days. It was wrong of me to dance with you like that last night and then treat you so horribly today." Heero looked down at his hands as he made this speech.

"He… Heero… I… I want to apologize too…"

"No. You have nothing to apologize about, Duo. I was the one who was so willing to dance with you last night. It's just… this morning, self doubt set in and I began to think that you were just caught up in the mood of the club or something. I began to think that others would see us together and be disgusted by it and I didn't know what to do. I know it was not the right thing to do and I know I can never make it up to you, but I want you to know that I am sorry." Heero turned to walk out and was stopped by Duo's hand grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Heero, don't leave. Please." Duo looked at Heero plaintively.

Heero looked into those beautiful violet eyes and nodded, unable to refuse Duo anything.

Lissa looked up as the doors to the waiting room swung open to reveal Sara. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slight smile spread across Dakin's face.

"Sara!" She jumped out and flung herself across the room, gripping Sara's arms. "How's Duo? Is he okay?"

"Yes. He'll be fine. They just want him to stay over for the night to make sure he really is okay."

"Oh good." Lissa coughed and whispered in Sara's ear. "We need to talk when you have a free second."

Sara quirked an eyebrow at her and then looked up as the others came up to her to inquire about Duo.

After learning that Duo was going to be okay; Josh, John, Dave, Ian, Ryan, Aneliya, Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa stopped in to see Duo and then went home, leaving Sara, Lissa, Dakin, Kaie, Aaron, and Heero to stay by his side.

Everyone who stayed filed slowly into Duo's room, except Heero who was already in the room, taking up every available space. Duo blinked at them wearily. They could all see the lump forming on the side of his head.

"How are you feeling, Duo?" Lissa squeezed in between the small table and the bed to be able to hold Duo's hand and brush his bangs out of his face.

"As well as I can feel with this egg on my head." Duo brushed over it gently with the tips of his fingers and winced.

"Duo, love, don't touch it. You'll only make it hurt more." Aaron squeezed past Heero and took hold of Duo's hand.

Sara sighed and shook her head as Duo looked at Aaron in shock and Heero glared at the back of his head, fists clenched, looking intent to kill.

Everyone was saved from seeing Aaron get ripped to shreds by a nurse sticking her head in the door.

"I'm very sorry to inform you, but visiting hours are over."

The group said their goodbyes. Sara and Lissa all but dragged Aaron out of the room, followed closely by Kaie and Dakin, leaving Heero alone with Duo.

"Thank you for coming here, Heero. You don't know how much it meant to me."

"You're welcome, Duo…" Heero slid his hand Duo's hands together. "I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright." Duo smiled at him as he walked out the door.

Sara and Lissa stood right outside the door, not acknowledging that they heard anything. They had sent Aaron, Kaie, and Dakin ahead to get them all sodas from the vending machine.

Heero walked through the door and stopped, eyeing the two girls suspiciously. They just grinned at him and started walking.

After getting their sodas from the boys, they each got into their cars. Kaie led the way with Dakin in his black Jeep. Aaron followed them in his red Ferrari and Sara brought up the rear in her black Corvette with Lissa and Heero as her passengers.

"So, Lissa, what did you have to tell me before?" Sara's eyes were focused on the road, but her mind was replaying Lissa's words from earlier.

Lissa giggled. "You know how you're always lamenting your single status?"

"Yes…? What does that have to do with anything?" Sara's eyebrow quirked.

"You know Dakin? Mr. Tall, Dark, and Sexy?"

Sara nodded slowly, her fingers gripping the wheel so tightly that they were white.

"Well, he's interested."

"What do you mean, interested?"

"Oh, I don't know." Lissa grinned.

"Stop teasing me! Tell me what he said or I'll start weaving this car around so bad that you'll throw up." Sara growled and then started hyperventilating.

"NO! Don't do that… Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to pay attention to the road. You're not allowed to faint. You're driving and I don't want to die."

"Yeah, yeah, sure! Just tell me what he said!"

Lissa sucked in a deep breath and dug through her bad for her ever-present smelling salts… just in case.

"Okay. Here it goes…" And so, Lissa told her story of her conversation with Dakin in the hospital waiting room.

Sara went sheet white in the beginning of the story. As Lissa continued, a small grin spread across Sara's face. She started shaking just a little, but nothing bad enough for her not to be able to control the car.

"So, he's interested…"

"Yes, Sara, he's interested."

"Lissa? What do I do? How do I go about letting him know I'm interested? I've never done this before. You know what I should do, right?" Sara was glancing frantically back and forth between the road and Lissa.

"Sara, chill. Breathe. I'm going to help you. You just need to calm down and get us home." Lissa was gripping the 'oh shit' handle tightly.

Sara slowed her breathing and concentrated on driving. In no time, she was parking the car, having gotten them home in one piece.

"Lissa, whose Jeep is that?" Sara asked nervously.

"That would be Kaie's."

"Oh no! Do you think he brought Dakin? Because I don't know what to do yet! What am I going to do?" Sara closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headrest.

"Sara, act normally and you'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" At Lissa's nod, Sara smiled and got out of the car. "Now, I'm going to go take a shower." With that, she bolted into the house and up the stairs, avoiding everyone that was already in the house.

Lissa grinned and got out of the car.

"Are you getting out of the car, or are you going to stay there all night, Heero?"

"If _he_ is here, I'll stay in the car or go back to my own house." Heero growled.

"He? He-who...? OH! As in Aaron?" Lissa grabbed Heero's arm. "Even if he is here, come inside. Please."

Heero growled, but got out of the car and followed her into the house.

Aaron was indeed sitting on the couch in the living room, talking animatedly to a bored looking Trowa. Heero studied him carefully. He seemed to be Duo's type. He had shining blonde hair that reminded Heero of a halo… one that was held up by horns. His dull blue eyes were cold as he looked towards the door where Heero and Dweia were standing.

"…and then Duo told me that he would always love me and I was in pure heaven. Oh, hello Heero." Aaron sneered in Heero's direction.

Lissa watched Heero's face carefully and saw it go sheet white. He stalked out of the room a second later.

Trowa had lost the bored look and was looking at Aaron like he wanted to murder him.

"Everyone who is currently in this room knows that that never happened. Why don't you take your lying ass out of here and leave Duo and Heero alone?" Trowa snapped.

"But I'm not lying. Duo said he loved me. I'm coming back tomorrow to see him. I don't care what you think of me, but I love Duo and I won't let anyone stand in the way of the two of us being together." With that, Aaron stalked out of the house, got in his car, and drove away.

Lissa sighed and went to go find Kaie and Dakin. She passed by the kitchen, but stopped when she noticed activity. Quatre, Dakin, and Kaie were in the process of making soup and sandwiches for everyone.

"Hey guys. Thank you so much. I was going to do that as soon as I found out where everyone went."

"It's no problem. And if you happened to notice the lack of Wufei and Aneliya… Well, we don't know what to tell you. They said something about talking privately for a little while. That was about… half an hour ago?" Quatre said, a small smirk spreading across his face.

Upstairs, after an insanely quick shower, Sara was walking down the hall in a towel when something caught her eye. The quest bedroom, which they had given to Aneliya, was occupied.

Sara peered around the door jam and smiled happily. Wufei and Aneliya were sitting on the bed, talking quietly while holding hands.

She smiled and moved on to her room to change and get ready to see Dakin.

End Part 8

Note: Sorry it's shorter than the others, but I also knew that I hadn't updated in awhile… so I wanted to put something up… Can you blame me?


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